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Efficient use of natural water resources in agriculture is becoming an important issue in Florida because of the rapid depletion of freshwater resources due to the increasing trend of industrial development and population. Reliable and consistent estimates of evapotranspiration (ET) are a key element of managing water resources efficiently. Since the 1940s numerous grass- and alfalfa-reference evapotranspiration (ET[sub o] and ET[sub r], respectively) equations have been developed and used by researchers and decision makers, resulting in confusion as to which equation to select as the most accurate reference ET estimates. Twenty-one ET[sub o] and ET[sub r] methods were evaluated based on their daily performance in a humid climate. The Food and Agriculture Organization Penman-Monteith (FAO56-PM) equation was used as the basis for comparison for the other methods. Measured and carefully screened daily climate data during a 23-year period (1978–2000) were used for method performance analyses, in which the methods were ranked based on the standard error of estimate (SEE) on a daily basis. In addition, the performance of the four alfalfa-based ET (ET[sub r]) equations and the ratio of alfalfa ET to grass ET (K[sub r] values) were evaluated, which have not been studied before in Florida’s humid climatic conditions. The peak month ET[sub o] estimates by each method were also evaluated. All methods produced significantly different ET[sub o] estimates than the FAO56-PM method. The 1948 Penman method estimates were closest to the FAO56-PM method on a daily basis throughout the year, with the daily SEE averaging 0.11 mm·d-1; thus this method was ranked the second best overall. Although 1963 Penman (with the original wind function) slightly overestimated ET, especially at high ET[sub o] rates, it provided remarkably good estimates as well and ranked as the third best method, with a daily average SEE value of 0.14 mm·d-1. Both methods produced peak month ET[sub o] estimates closest to the FAO56-PM method among all methods evaluated, with daily peak month SEEs averaging 0.07 and 0.09 mm·d-1, respectively. Significant variations were observed in terms of the performance of the various forms of Penman’s equations. For example, the original Penman-Monteith method produced the poorest ET[sub o] estimates among the combination equations, with a daily SEE for all months and peak month averaging 0.50 and 0.35 mm·d-1, respectively and ranked 11th. An average value of 1.18 was used to convert ET[sub r] estimates to ET[sub o] values for alfalfa-reference methods. The K[sub r] value of 1.18 resulted in reasonable estimates of ET[sub o] throughout the year by the Kimberley forms of the Penman equations. Another ET[sub r]-based equation, Jensen-Haise, gave consistently poor estimates. The Stephens-Stewart radiation method was the highest-ranked (10th) noncombination method overall. The temperature-based McCloud method (ranked 19th) produced the poorest ET[sub o] estimates among all methods with a daily SEE for all months and for the peak month averaging 1.93 and 1.22 mm·d-1, respectively. In general, the results obtained from the temperature methods suggest that all of the temperature methods, with the possible exception of the Turc method, can only be applicable for these climatic conditions after they are calibrated or modified locally or regionally. The FAO and Christiansen pan evaporation methods (ranked 17th and 18th, respectively) produced poor ET[sub o] estimates and had the largest amount of point scatter in daily ET[sub o] estimates relative to the FAO56-PM ET[sub o]. Both methods resulted in the highest daily SEE of 1.18 and 1.19 mm·d-1 for all months, after the McCloud method (1.93 mm·d-1), and with the highest SEE of 1.30 and 1.24 mm·d-1 for the peak month of all methods evaluated. The FAO56-PM method uses solar radiation, wind speed, relative humidity, and minimum and maximum air temperature to estimate ET[sub o]. It has been recommended that the FAO56-PM be used for estimating ET[sub o] when all the necessary input parameters are available. However, all these input variables may not be available, or some of them may not be reliable for a given location if the FAO56-PM equation is used, and one may need to choose other temperature, radiation, or pan evaporation methods based on the availability of data for estimating ET[sub o]. The results of this study can be used as a reference tool to provide practical information on which method to select based on the availability of data for reliable and consistent estimates of daily ET[sub o] relative to the FAO56-PM method in a humid climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trochosa sepulchralis (Montgomery 1902) is recognized as the senior synonym of Trochosa acompa (Chamberlin 1924) based upon careful examination of critical morphological characteristics. In addition, Trochosa abdita (Gcrtsch 1934), once considered a junior synonym of T. acompa, is now recognized as a valid species. Trochosa sepulchralais and T. abdita are fully illustrated and described, and essential information regarding species identification, morphological dimensions, and geographic distribution is included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Florida bonneted bat Eumops floridanus is a rare, endemic bat of South Florida that roosts in woodpecker cavities and anthropogenic structures such as roofing tiles, chimneys, and bat houses. The northernmost occurrences of the bonneted bat are from mature pine forests at the Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida. We used ultrasonic acoustic recorders to understand bonneted bat activity and habitat occupancy. We modeled occupancy using a hierarchical Bayesian analysis and included site- and time-specific covariates of detection probability and site-specific covariates of occupancy. Probability of detection was low throughout Avon Park Air Force Range but increased with Julian date. In most habitats, occupancy was poorly estimated, except for flatwood mature pinelands where occupancy was low (0.23 ± 0.06). As distance from red-cockaded woodpecker colonies increased, occupancy decreased (β = −1.19 ± 0.26 SD). At the northernmost extent of the range, and throughout much of the historic range, increasing the expanse of mature, fire-maintained forest systems will increase habitat for the bonneted bat and lead to faster population recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Since 2010, three spatially disjunct reef fish video surveys have provided fishery‐independent data critical to the assessment and management of reef fishes in the Gulf of Mexico. Although analytical approaches have recently been developed to integrate data from these surveys into a single measure of relative abundance and size composition, a more parsimonious approach would be to integrate survey efforts under a single Gulf‐wide survey design. Accordingly, we conducted a retrospective analysis of historical video‐ and habitat‐mapping data to develop a novel stratified random sampling design for conducting surveys of natural and artificial reef habitats. Methods: We conducted a series of classification and regression tree analyses to delineate both spatial and habitat strata, and conducted simulations to assess the performance of an optimized survey design. Result: Spatially, classification and regression tree results identified three depth strata (10–25 m, >25–50 m, >50–180 m) and three regional strata (north‐central Gulf, Big Bend, southwest Florida) in the eastern Gulf. For both natural and artificial reefs, habitat strata were delineated based on a combination of relative relief (low, medium, high) and size of the individual reef feature, although reef scale differed markedly between natural (<100 m2, 100–1000 m2, >1000 m2) and artificial habitats (<25 m2, 25–100 m2, >100 m2). To optimize effort among sampling strata, effort was allocated proportionally based on a combination of habitat availability and managed‐species richness for each stratum. Simulation results indicated that relative median biases were <10% and relative median absolute deviations <30% on estimates of abundance for most species examined on natural reefs under the optimal design, except Greater Amberjack Seriola dumerili. These measures of bias and imprecision were similar or higher for most species simulated using simple random and stratified random survey designs. Estimated relative median bias and relative median absolute deviations were notably higher for artificial reef surveys. Conclusion: Based on these results, survey efforts were integrated as the Gulf Fishery Independent Survey of Habitat and Ecosystem Resources (G‐FISHER) in 2020. Impact statementData from reef fish video surveys were analyzed to develop a new survey design in the Gulf of Mexico. The new design provides better estimates of reef fish abundance from natural and artificial reef habitats and will improve the assessment and management of multiple reef fishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fecundity, the number of young produced by a breeding pair during a breeding season, is a primary component in evolutionary and ecological theory and applications. Fecundity can be influenced by many environmental factors and requires long‐term study due to the range of variation in ecosystem dynamics. Fecundity data often include a large proportion of zeros when many pairs fail to produce any young during a breeding season due to nest failure or when all young die independently after fledging. We conducted color banding and monthly censuses of Florida scrub‐jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) across 31 years, 15 populations, and 761 territories along central Florida's Atlantic coast. We quantified how fecundity (juveniles/pair‐year) was influenced by habitat quality, presence/absence of nonbreeders, population density, breeder experience, and rainfall, with a zero‐inflated Bayesian hierarchical model including both a Bernoulli (e.g., brood success) and a Poisson (counts of young) submodel, and random effects for year, population, and territory. The results identified the importance of increasing "strong" quality habitat, which was a mid‐successional state related to fire frequency and extent, because strong territories, and the proportion of strong territories in the overall population, influenced fecundity of breeding pairs. Populations subject to supplementary feeding also had greater fecundity. Territory size, population density, breeder experience, and rainfall surprisingly had no or small effects. Different mechanisms appeared to cause annual variation in fecundity, as estimates of random effects were not correlated between the success and count submodels. The increased fecundity for pairs with nonbreeders, compared to pairs without, identified empirical research needed to understand how the proportion of low‐quality habitats influences population recovery and sustainability, because dispersal into low‐quality habitats can drain nonbreeders from strong territories and decrease overall fecundity. We also describe how long‐term study resulted in reversals in our understanding because of complications involving habitat quality, sociobiology, and population density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate socioeconomic disparities in air quality at public schools in the contiguous US using high resolution estimates of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations. We find that schools with higher proportions of people of color (POC) and students eligible for the federal free or reduced lunch program, a proxy for poverty level, are associated with higher pollutant concentrations. For example, we find that the median annual NO2 concentration for White students, nationally, was 7.7 ppbv, compared to 9.2 ppbv for Black and African American students. Statewide and regional disparities in pollutant concentrations across racial, ethnic, and poverty groups are consistent with nationwide results, where elevated NO2 concentrations were associated with schools with higher proportions of POC and higher levels of poverty. Similar, though smaller, differences were found in PM2.5 across racial and ethnic groups in most states. Racial, ethnic, and economic segregation across the rural‐urban divide is likely an important factor in pollution disparities at US public schools. We identify distinct regional patterns of disparities, highlighting differences between California, New York, and Florida. Finally, we highlight that disparities exist not only across urban and non‐urban lines but also within urban environments. Plain Language Summary: We find that, nationally, US public schools with higher proportions of impoverished and racially/ethnically marginalized students are associated with higher average concentrations of two types of air pollutants, particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), relative to schools with lower proportions of marginalized students. Disparities in pollutant concentrations are also more pronounced in some regions of the US where marginalized students are concentrated in urban areas and non‐marginalized students are concentrated in rural areas, such as the state of New York. We find that larger relative disparities exist for NO2 compared to particulate matter, but qualitative results are similar. Key Points: US public school students from ethnically/racially marginalized groups are likely exposed to higher air pollutant concentrationsUS public schools with higher poverty levels are associated with higher air pollutant concentrationsAt public schools within urban areas, we still find some disparities in pollutant concentrations across racial/ethnic groups [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evapotranspiration (ET) plays an important role in agricultural water management and crop modeling. The highest mean annual ET values (889–1016 mm) in the United States (US) occur in Florida where there is a combination of ample rainfall (R) and warm air temperatures. Therefore, it is crucial to know the synergistic influence of meteorological variables (MV) on ET variability. This study aims to evaluate how reference evapotranspiration (ET0) over Florida from 2008 to 2018 was influenced by MV using simultaneous changes in all variables. These changes were evaluated interannually, seasonally, monthly, and daily using trend analysis. We used weather information including R, relative humidity (RH), solar radiation (SR), wind, and temperature parameters as well as ET0 from 33 synoptic stations over Florida recorded by the Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN). Results of this study showed that SR had the strongest positive annual correlation with ET0 for all climate regions over Florida. However, temporal analysis showed that during December and January, temperature was the dominant factor to control variations of ET0 which was highly consistent with anomalies of ET0 and temperature parameters in December. The correlation coefficients between ET0 and RH were negatively higher than −0.6 from May to September, compared to the entire year, where RH was negligible (between −0.1 and −0.2). The significant trend of air and soil temperature, SR, and RH might be considered as an early alarm system for climate variability over Florida. Finally, sensitivity analysis revealed that ET0 changed at least 1% for 16–18% variations of MV in 67% of the weather stations (22 stations); this range (16–18%) can be assigned as an average range to force ET0 to change at least 1% across Florida. The results of this study can be used as a guideline to assess the annual, seasonal, and monthly relationships between the most influential MV and ET0 across Florida, as a source to identify the most sensitive MV in the modeling of ET related studies, and as the base to develop climate-based management plans for agricultural water management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is excess amenable mortality risk and evidence of healthcare quality deficits for persons with serious mental illness (SMI). We sought to identify sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with variations in two 2015 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures, antipsychotic medication adherence and preventive diabetes screening, among Medicaid enrollees with serious mental illness (SMI).Methods: We retrospectively analyzed claims data from September 2014 to December 2015 from enrollees in a Medicaid specialty health plan in Florida. All plan enrollees had SMI; analyses included continuously enrolled adults with antipsychotic medication prescriptions and schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Associations were identified using mixed effects logistic regression models.Results: Data for 5502 enrollees were analyzed. Substance use disorders, depression, and having both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder diagnoses were associated with both HEDIS measures but the direction of the associations differed; each was significantly associated with antipsychotic medication non-adherence (a marker of suboptimal care quality) but an increased likelihood of diabetes screening (a marker of quality care). Compared to whites, blacks and Hispanics had a significantly greater risk of medication non-adherence. Increasing age was significantly associated with increasing medication adherence, but the association between age and diabetes screening varied by sex. Other characteristics significantly associated with quality variations according to one or both measures were education (associated with antipsychotic medication adherence), urbanization (relative to urban locales, residing in suburban areas was associated with both adherence and diabetes screening), obesity (associated with both adherence and diabetes screening), language (non-English speakers had a greater likelihood of diabetes screening), and anxiety, asthma, and hypertension (each positively associated with diabetes screening).Conclusions: The characteristics associated with variations in the quality of care provided to Medicaid enrollees with SMI as gauged by two HEDIS measures often differed, and at times associations were directionally opposite. The variations in the quality of healthcare received by persons with SMI that were identified in this study can guide quality improvement and delivery system reform efforts; however, given the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics' differing associations with different measures of care quality, multidimensional approaches are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of reproductive characteristics and performance (RCP) is necessary to estimate a species' breeding output and provide indicators to evaluate population health. Long-term data are important because they provide insight into the roles of intrinsic and extrinsic factors in determining RCP and lifetime breeding output of individuals and productivity of populations. Here, I examine the RCP of the Florida panther Puma concolor coryi by using an extensive data set collected from 1981 to 2019. My objective is to establish baseline RCP parameters and to determine the factors that affect lifetime breeding output. Briefly, the results from a variety of data analyses show the following: 1) Florida panthers exhibit a spring (March–May) birth pulse; 2) minimum age at sexual maturity does not differ between sexes; 3) mean annual proportion of females reproducing, litter size, and birth rate progressively decrease with increasing maternal age; 4) mean litter sex ratio is male biased; 5) mean birth interval differs between successful and unsuccessful litters; 6) proportion of kittens that recruited into the breeding population is small; and 7) distribution of parentage and mating partners among individuals in litters of known mothers and fathers is right skewed. The results indicate that breeding output is limited both by low birth rate and small proportion of offspring recruiting into the breeding population. The decreasing RCP with increasing maternal age suggests that costs of reproduction and progressive body condition senescence are important factors limiting lifetime breeding output. Despite these inhibiting factors, the data came from a period of substantial population growth and expansion since 1995, so the RCP shown is productive for this species. Outcomes from this study provide important RCP information for wildlife managers to implement measurable criteria to assess trends in Florida panther breeding output and population health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering evapotranspiration takes a basic role in the hydrologic cycle, water resources management, and irrigation water requirements. Evapotranspiration estimation is not an easy case because of the number of direct and indirect effects. The ability of the M5 model tree (M5T); adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS); support vector machines (SVM); Hargreaves-Samani, Ritchie, Turc, and Penman FAO 56 empirical equations; and multilinear regression (MLR) for modeling daily reference evapotranspiration is investigated. Daily climatic data, air temperature (T), relative humidity (RH), wind speed (U), and solar radiation (SR) from De Soto County, Florida, USA, station are used as inputs for the training of the models and calculation of equations. Mean square error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and correlation coefficient statistics are computed to evaluate the performances of the created models. A total comparison is done between all results to underline how effective is soft computing techniques. Also, the impact of each meteorological parameter on evapotranspiration is investigated by using ANFIS, MLR, and SVM methods as a part of the parameter effect study. According to the error calculations and correlation coefficient, Turc empirical formula found better than other empirical equations. All data-driven techniques gave better results than empirical equations. The highest correlation coefficient is calculated for ANFIS, and the minimum errors are calculated for radial basis function SVM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population of Immokalee in Southwest Florida is 75% Latinos, with nearly half being foreign-born. Several documented stressors contribute to poor mental health among Latinos. However, little is known about Latinos' mental health in this region. This study sought to assess self-rated mental health (SRMH) and acculturation stress (AS) and predict SRMH based on stress from life events, AS, sociodemographic characteristics, and social support among U.S.-born and foreign-born Latinos. Face-to-face interviews and assisted self-administered surveys were used to collect information among 158 Latinos on sociodemographic characteristics, AS, major life events that caused stress, social support, and SRMH. AS was elicited by asking three questions (Cronbach's α = .84), total stress level was determined by 10 major life events, and social support was elicited by 14 questions (Cronbach's α = .76). Results indicated that foreign-born Latinos 36-75 years old, with minimal social support, U.S.-born Latinos with lower educational levels, minimal social support, and high-moderate stress levels reported statistically significant low SRMH. AS was significantly higher among foreign-born 36- to 75-year-olds, with lower educational levels, minimal social support, who preferred the Spanish language and lived ≤15 years in the United States. Linear regression analysis showed social support, educational levels, and life stressors to be significant predictors of SRMH among U.S.-born Latinos, whereas social support was a significant predictor in foreign-born Latinos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interspecific interactions can play an essential role in shaping wildlife populations and communities. To date, assessments of interspecific interactions, and more specifically predator-prey dynamics, in aquatic systems over broad spatial and temporal scales (i.e., hundreds of kilometers and multiple years) are rare due to constraints on our abilities to measure effectively at those scales. We applied new methods to identify space-use overlap and potential predation risk to Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) and permit (Trachinotus falcatus) from two known predators, great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) and bull (Carcharhinus leucas) sharks, over a 3-year period using acoustic telemetry in the coastal region of the Florida Keys (USA). By examining spatiotemporal overlap, as well as the timing and order of arrival at specific locations compared to random chance, we show that potential predation risk from great hammerhead and bull sharks to Atlantic tarpon and permit are heterogeneous across the Florida Keys. Additionally, we find that predator encounter rates with these game fishes are elevated at specific locations and times, including a prespawning aggregation site in the case of Atlantic tarpon. Further, using machine learning algorithms, we identify environmental variability in overlap between predators and their potential prey, including location, habitat, time of year, lunar cycle, depth, and water temperature. These predator-prey landscapes provide insights into fundamental ecosystem function and biological conservation, especially in the context of emerging fishery-related depredation issues in coastal marine ecosystems., (© 2022 The Ecological Society of America.)

Social judgement theory was utilized to determine if men and women showed different acceptance of messages about genetically modified (GM) foods. The primary objective was to determine if females and males had a different latitude of acceptance toward statements about GM foods. Researchers found significant differences between males and females with more males accepting messages about GM foods than females. Additionally, there were several statements with wide latitudes of acceptance across genders. These statements represent a common ground and are a good starting point for conversations about GM food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents first person accounts from vigils organized all over the U.S. to mark the June 12, 2016 massacre at the Pulse Night Club in Orlando, Florida. The accounts highlight the complex interplay between racism and homophobia and how people of color express their solidarities with multiple struggles. Accounts presented include that of Joseph Allen Ruanto-Ramirez, Harjant Gill, Lucas Bulgarelli and Aniqa Raihan.

Drought index is a useful tool to assess and respond to drought. However, current drought indices could not fully reveal land use effects and they have limitations in applications. Besides, El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), strongly influences the climate of Florida. Hence, understanding ENSO patterns on a regional scale and developing a new land use drought index suitable for Florida are critical in agriculture and water resources planning and management. This paper presents a 32 km high resolution land use adapted drought index, which relies on five types of land uses (lake, urban, forest, wetland, and agriculture) in Florida. The land uses were obtained from National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) data from 1979 to 2002. The results showed that Bowen ratio responded to land use and could be used as an indicator to monitor drought events. Then, an innovative regional land use drought index was developed from the normalized Bowen ratio, which could reflect not only the level of severity during drought events resulting from land use effects, but also La Niña driven drought impacts. The proposed new index may help scientists answer the critical questions about drought effect on various land uses and potential feedbacks of changes in land use and land cover to climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of a predecessor rain event (PRE) over the Straits of Florida ahead of Tropical Cyclone (TC) Isaac on 25 August 2012 is presented. This PRE is unique compared to previously documented PREs in midlatitudes because it occurred over the oceanic subtropics and impacted the track of an approaching TC. The Isaac PRE developed in conjunction with a tropical moisture plume with precipitable water values over 60 mm that intersected a region of mid- and upper-level frontogenesis and warm air advection on the southeast flank of an upper-level trough. The PRE occurred in an environment with more abundant tropical moisture and weaker synoptic-scale forcing for ascent compared to the environments in which midlatitude PREs developed. The Isaac PRE contributed to the fracture of the upper-level trough through negative potential vorticity advection by convectively driven divergent outflow. Fracture of the upper-level trough and midlevel cyclonic vorticity amplification associated with the PRE acted to steer Isaac south of Florida into the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasts from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-Global Forecast System (NCEP-GFS) initialized at 0000 UTC 21-24 August 2012 failed to predict the PRE and as a result recurved TC Isaac over Florida and the eastern Gulf of Mexico rather than continued Isaac on a northwest course toward southeast Louisiana. Vorticity inversion and detailed diagnosis of the NCEP-GFS TC track forecast initialized at 0000 UTC 22 August is also presented to assess the relationship between the PRE and TC Isaac's track. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrodynamic properties of rivers and streams are primary controls on the abundance and structure of algal communities. In Florida, USA, filamentous macroalgal proliferation in spring-fed rivers has largely been attributed to nitrogen enrichment; however, changes in hydrodynamics and other potential mechanisms have not been thoroughly evaluated. This study tested whether macroalgal abundance (primarily Lyngbya wollei) was related to hydrodynamics in Gum Slough, a sub-tropical Florida spring-fed river. Flow velocities and macroalgal cover were measured at three transects bimonthly between June 2010 and January 2013, a period during which river discharge fluctuated in response to a drought and a tropical storm. Temporal variation in macroalgal cover was significantly inversely related to flow velocity, excluding fall/winter sampling events when light limitation was likely. The results indicate a velocity threshold below which macroalgal cover increased substantially, and a lower threshold below which complete cover frequently occurred. Local differences in channel morphology and substrate type (i.e., aquatic plant beds) seemed to affect the relationship between macroalgal cover and velocity at each transect. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and other water chemistry parameters were not associated with variation in macroalgal cover. Overall, this study suggests that hydrodynamics can strongly control filamentous macroalgae in Florida spring-fed rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the existence of long term remotely sensed datasets, change detection methods are limited and often remain an obstacle to the effective use of time series approaches in remote sensing applications to Land Change Science. This paper establishes some simple statistical tests to be applied to NDVI-derived time series of remotely sensed data products. Specifically, the methods determine the statistical significance of three separate metrics of the persistence of vegetation cover or changes within a landscape by comparison to various forms of ?benchmarks?; directional persistence (changes in sign relative to some fixed reference value), relative directional persistence (changes in sign relative to the preceding value), and massive persistence (changes in magnitude relative to the preceding value). Null hypotheses are developed on the basis of serially independent, normally distributed random variables. Critical values are established theoretically through consideration of the numeric properties of those variables, application of extensive Monte Carlo simulations, and parallels to random walk processes. Monthly pixel-level NDVI values for the state of Florida are analyzed over 25 years, illustrating the techniques' abilities to identify areas and/or times of significant change, and facilitate a more detailed understanding of this landscape. The potential power and utility of such techniques is diverse within the area of remote sensing studies and Land Change Science, especially in the context of global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that the population of Roseate spoonbill has increased in the past eighty years in Florida to re-establish about 1,400 pairs statewide after wide extirpation of Spoonbills population in the 1930s. Now about 60% of the population live in the Everglades drainage basin, 20% nesting in 11 colonies in the Tampa Bay region of west-central Florida, 17% in the Indian River Lagoon, and 3% at a few other small colonies. They are strong fliers and can disperse widely after breeding.

The article focuses on reddish egrets sighted in Pinellas and Citrus counties in Florida. The expansion of reddish egret nesting in dredged spoil material islands in Clearwater Harbor and St. Joseph Sound (CHSJS), Pinellas County, is described in a study made between 1991-2011 wherein annual mean nesting effort was 2.5 occupied sites and 9.3 nests. Citrus county recording its first reddish egret nesting in 129 years in 2009 is discussed.

Reference evapotranspiration and solar radiation estimation methods that use only measured temperature have been demonstrated to require regional calibration for acceptable performance. This study was conducted to evaluate regional calibration of incoming solar radiation and reference evapotranspiration in Florida, USA. Using satellite-derived estimates of solar radiation and reference evapotranspiration as the standard for comparison, regional calibration of the Hargreaves-Samani solar radiation model and the Turc temperature-based reference evapotranspiration equation were evaluated using monthly temperature data from 22 weather stations in Florida. Station-specific and regional calibration of the Hargreaves-Samani solar radiation model was found to produce comparable results, indicating the validity of this approach in regional calibration of radiation estimates. Using the regionally calibrated radiation estimates, the original Turc equation was found to underestimate reference evapotranspiration, indicating an overall negative bias for the equation in the region. Using the regionally calibrated radiation estimates with the calibrated Turc equation was found to produce comparable error but considerably lower bias compared to the original Turc equation and the original Hargreaves-Samani solar radiation model using coefficients recommended by the Food and Agricultural Organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Florida has been among the top foreclosure markets in the United States, but little research has explored whether this market presents different dynamics compared to other metropolitan areas. This research chooses Broward County to explore whether socioeconomic characteristics and certain public policy instruments relate to subprime lending and mortgage foreclosure patterns. Results indicate areas bounded by linear highways and railroads have a concentration of low-income black population and subprime loans. The spatial distribution of subprime loans is mostly explained by a higher percentage of minority and/or Hispanic population in a neighborhood. Yet, racial minorities, instead of Hispanic origin, contributes mostly to the concentration of subprime loans. The spatial pattern of foreclosures is more complex, determined not only by subprime loans but also possibly other factors associated with the mortgage crisis. This suggests that disadvantaged neighborhoods are disproportionally lacking favorable opportunities due to institutional and sub-cultural forces shaping the geography of subprime and foreclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potato/tomato psyllid, Bactericerca cockerelli (B. cockerelli), and the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri (D. citri), are very important plant pests, but they are also vectors of phloem-limited bacteria that are associated with two devastating plant diseases. B. cockerelli is the vector of Candidatus Liberibacter psyllaurous (solanacearum), which is associated with zebra chip disease of potatoes, and D. citri is the vector of Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus, which is associated with the Huanglongbing (citrus greening) disease that currently threatens the entire Florida citrus industry. Here we used EST sequence information from D. citri to identify potential targets for RNA interference in B. cockerelli. We targeted ubiquitously expressed and gut-abundant mRNAs via injection and oral acquisition of double-stranded RNAs and siRNAs and were able to induce mortality in recipient psyllids. We also showed knockdown of target mRNAs, and that oral acquisition resulted primarily in mRNA knockdown in the psyllid gut. Concurrent with gene knockdown was the accumulation of target specific ∼ 21 nucleotide siRNAs for an abundant mRNA for BC-Actin. These results showed that RNAi can be a powerful tool for gene function studies in psyllids, and give support for continued efforts for investigating RNAi approaches as possible tools for psyllid and plant disease control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Actual evapotranspiration (ET) is commonly estimated at daily time intervals as the product of a crop coefficient and a reference-crop evapotranspiration (ET0) that is calculated by using a daily time step. When subdaily time steps are used, crop coefficients must be multiplied by adjustment factors to account for the discrepancy between ET0 calculated by using daily and subdaily time steps. These adjustment factors depend on the method used to calculate ET0. By using the ASCE and FAO-56 Penman-Monteith methods with data from several meteorological stations in Florida, the ASCE equation is shown to be preferable for all locations and seasons because it requires the least adjustment to the crop coefficient when 15-min and 1-h time steps are used. The required adjustment factors depend on location and season, are greatest in the summer, and are approximately the same for 15-min and 1-h time steps. A comparative evaluation between daily ET0 and values of potential evapotranspiration (PET) provided by three public databases shows that PET estimates should generally not be used as substitutes for ET0, because the relationship between PET and ET0 varies significantly with location and season. For all locations and seasons considered in this study, daily ET0 agrees most closely with the PET given by the Florida Automated Weather Network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reference evapotranspiration estimation methods that require minimal data are necessary when climatic data sets are incomplete, inaccurate, or unavailable. This study was conducted to evaluate temperature-based reference evapotranspiration methods in Florida. Using reference evapotranspiration estimates using satellite-derived radiation as the standard for comparison, the “reduced-set” Penman-Monteith, Hargreaves, and Turc equations were evaluated using monthly temperature data from 72 weather stations in Florida. The reduced-set Penman-Monteith equation requires maximum and minimum temperature only and uses recommended methods to estimate radiation, humidity, and wind speed. The reduced-set Penman-Monteith and Hargreaves equations were found to overestimate reference evapotranspiration while the Turc equation neither overestimated nor underestimated. The reduced-set Penman-Monteith equation showed greatest error in coastal stations while the Hargreaves equation showed greatest error at inland and island locations. In the absence of regionally calibrated methods the Turc equation is recommended for estimating reference evapotranspiration using measured maximum and minimum temperature and estimated radiation in Florida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation and uncertainty in estimated evaporation was determined over time and between two locations in Florida Bay, a subtropical estuary. Meteorological data were collected from September 2001 to August 2002 at Rabbit Key and Butternut Key within the Bay. Evaporation was estimated using both vapor flux and energy budget methods. The results were placed into a long-term context using 33 years of temperature and rainfall data collected in south Florida. Evaporation also was estimated from this long-term data using an empirical formula relating evaporation to clear sky solar radiation and air temperature. Evaporation estimates for the 12-mo period ranged from 144 to 175 cm yr-1, depending on location and method, with an average of 163 cm yr-1 (± 9%). Monthly values ranged from 9.2 to 18.5 cm, with the highest value observed in May, corresponding with the maximum in measured net radiation. Uncertainty estimates derived from measurement errors in the data were as much as 10%, and were large enough to obscure differences in evaporation between the two sites. Differences among all estimates for any month indicate the overall uncertainty in monthly evaporation, and ranged from 9% to 26%. Over a 33-yr period (1970-2002), estimated annual evaporation from Florida Bay ranged from 148 to 181 cm with an average of 166 cm yr-1. Rainfall was consistently lower in Florida Bay than evaporation, with a long-term average of 106 cm yr-1. Rainfall considered alone was uncorrelated with evaporation at both monthly and annual time scales; when the seasonal variation in clear sky radiation was also taken into account both net radiation and evaporation were significantly suppressed in months with high rainfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrological variables have influenced fish recruitment in lakes, reservoirs and rivers. We evaluated how annual and seasonal hydrological variables were related to year-class strength (i.e., residuals from catch curves) of sportfish across eight Florida waterbodies (four rivers and four lakes). Multiple regression equations computed for black bassMicropterusspp. were combined across rivers and year-class strength was negatively related to spring median flow rates and in some cases positively related to winter median flow rates (allp?=?0.10). Conversely,Lepomisspp. residuals combined from the rivers indicated that year-class strength was positively related to median flow rates in the fall prior to spawning and negatively related to post-spawn fall median flow rates (allp?=?0.10). Fish recruitment combined across lakes were not related to water levels in this study, although within lake relationships did occur in some instances. Ecological implications of this work include regulations such as minimum flows and levels (MFLs) regarding sportfish species. Impacts of hydrology on year-class strength of sportfish were stronger in rivers than in lakes for these Florida systems. High flows at least once every 3?years in the fall may allow inundation of floodplain habitat, providing favorable environmental conditions forLepomisspp. reproduction. Setting MFLs during periods of drought (i.e., 3?years or more) should consider impacts to short-lived species such asLepomisspp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses a study which developed a reliable and applicable method for daily estimation of evaporation for Lake Okeechobee in South Florida and incorporated the results in the daily hydrologic report. Information on evaporation from lakes; Details on lake evaporation estimation methods; Results and discussion; Conclusion.

Soil nutrients and water management practices according to the concept of 4R nutrient stewardship (right rate, right timing, right placement, and right source) can have significant benefits on crop productivity and reduce the negative effects of agricultural practices on the environment. Therefore, this present study evaluated the effects of nitrogen (N) application timing under different irrigation regimes on open-field, fresh-market tomato production in Florida. In this study, 2 N application timings applied at 25% pre-plant with 75% fertigation (BM), and 0 pre-plant with 100% fertigation (NB), were evaluated. The two N application methods were evaluates using three irrigation regimes: full irrigation (FI, 100% ETc), deficit irrigation (DI, 66% ETc), and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI, 66% ETc during the first 4 weeks after transplanting and 100% ETc afterward). The results showed that BM treatment significantly improved early-season tomato growth compared to NB treatment. The results also indicated that under RDI and DI irrigation conditions, tomato root length was lowest (average value of 13%) within the first 15 cm compared to 40% within 15–30 cm and 47% at 30–40 cm soil depths. Similar to plant growth, BM treatment significantly increased tomato yield (average valued 56.00 Mg ha−1) compared to the NB (average value 40.23 Mg ha−1). The application of DI throughout the growing season reduced tomato yield; however, there were no differences in yield under the RDI and FI irrigation regimes. Therefore, based on the results from this study, it can be concluded that, under Florida growing conditions, pre-plant N application is essential for tomato growth and productivity. Additionally, irrigation application using the RDI method could be successfully adopted in Florida tomato production for improved water savings without any negative effects on tomato growth and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operational coarse-resolution satellite thermal sensors designed for global oceans are often insufficient for evaluating surface temperature of small water bodies. Here, the quality of the thermal data, collected by the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS), over several South Florida estuaries, Chesapeake Bay, and Lake Okeechobee is evaluated using both in situ and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Sea Surface Temperature (SST) data. Overall, for SST between ~6 and ~32 °C, ECOSTRESS LST (Land Surface Temperature, used as a surrogate for SST in this study) appears to be slightly underestimated, with the underestimation being more severe at night (−1.13 °C) than during the day (−0.64 °C), in spring and summer (−1.25 ± 1.39 °C) than in autumn and winter (−0.57 ± 0.98 °C), and after May 2019 when two of the five bands failed. The root-mean-square uncertainties of ECOSTRESS SST are generally within 1–2 °C. Spatial analysis further suggests that ECOSTRESS SST covers waters closer to shore and reveals more spatial features than MODIS, with comparable image noise. From these observations, after proper georeferencing and empirical correction of the negative bias, ECOSTRESS SST may be used to evaluate the thermal environments of small water bodies, thus filling gaps in the coarse-resolution satellite data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information about the accounting faculty of several universities in the U.S. Walter Meigs of University of Southern California, has served recently as chairman of the accounting section at the meeting of the Pacific Coast Economic Association. From the same university. George T. Altman has given addresses on tax matters to the Pomona Valley Bar Association, the American Society of Women Accountants, the California Society of Certified Public Accountant's, the Life Insurance and Trust Council of Los Angeles, and the National Tax Association. H. T. Scovil of the University of Illinois, was selected for the annual award for "outstanding service to the accounting profession" by the American Institute of Accountants at the annual meeting in Los Angeles, Illinois, on November 1, 1949. This is the first time an educator has been given this award. Scovil has been head of the Department of Business Organization and Operation at the University of Illinois since 1917, was the first educator on the Board of Examiners for the National Certified Public Accountant examination.

The objective of the research reported in this paper was to determine the potential water-savings effectiveness of Toro Intelli-Sense evapotranspiration (ET)-based irrigation controllers in single-family homes. Of the 36 cooperators selected, 21 cooperators were outfitted with Toro Intelli-Sense TIS-612 (the ET group) and the remaining 15 were used as comparisons. The ET group reduced irrigation compared to the gross irrigation requirement by 23-41% and the 9-year historical average by 23-34%. Results varied based on the relationship between historical irrigation and the gross irrigation requirement, with water savings of 24%, no difference, and an increase of 54% when the historical value exceeded, approximated, and was less than the gross irrigation requirement, respectively. Turfgrass quality was maintained above an acceptable threshold for both treatments. In southwest Florida, a properly programmed Intelli-Sense controller is recommended when irrigation exceeds the gross irrigation requirement and at least 696 mm of irrigation is applied annually. Other smart-irrigation technologies would be more appropriate in locations for which the irrigation rate is less than the gross irrigation requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]