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Dr Mary T. Martin Sloop and Dr Eustace Henry Sloop shaped the landscape of healthcare and education for the small town of Crossnore in the mountains of Western North Carolina throughout the early- to mid-twentieth century. The duo of general practitioners founded the Crossnore School and the Garrett Memorial Hospital, later renamed Sloop Memorial Hospital before its closure in 1999. The Sloops provided medical care to an underserved Appalachian population and sought advice and assistance from key community stakeholders with every project they undertook, demonstrating their commitment to cultural assimilation. While the story of the Sloop family is one of success, patients in rural America are currently facing a dual crisis of healthcare access. Rural healthcare professional shortages contribute to difficulties establishing longitudinal relationships with primary care providers, which in turn decreases access to preventative medicine services. With over 106 rural hospitals closing since 2010, patients may face travel barriers to reach inpatient facilities with associated emergency services, and access to specialty services such as surgery is diminished. It is paramount to reflect on and learn from the stories of the past, highlighting the personal and professional fulfillment that can be found in embracing rurality through service and community integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes the direct and indirect effects of mining on the karst of the Bakony Region. For this, the results of geological and mining research of the last century, the results of hydrological research of fifty years, as well as the investigations of several decades on the karst of the mountain region are used. Direct effects include the exploitation of filling materials (limonite, kaolinite, manganese ore, and bauxite) from paleokarst features, dolomite rubble, activities exploring or destroying cavities, and the pollution of cavity systems with mining waste (dirt). An indirect effect is karst water extraction. Mining activities (coal and quarrying) resulting in the development of pseudokarstic features are also mentioned here. It can be stated that the effects on the karst and karst features may be permanent and even renewing, but the original state may also have returned or can be expected in the near future. Damages may be local or regional. A regional effect is the decrease in karst water level, which has the most significant effect on the environment, but it has already reached its original state by now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tucked away in the Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina on the Cherokee Indian Reservation is a living tradition that predates the “discovery” of America: the game of stickball. Researchers have reported on the sport and the complex rituals that surround it since the early-twentieth century. Often referred to as the “little brother of war,” it is much more than a game. With the purpose of uncovering the reasons for playing the game and its larger meaning as part of players' Cherokee identity and culture, the primary investigator (a native of Cherokee and an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee), interviewed eleven current and former stickball players about what stickball means to them and its importance to Cherokee culture. Three main themes emerged: (1) cultural preservation; (2) community reinforcement; and (3) ethnic identity affirmation. This study exemplifies the importance of sport as a tool for cultural preservation and explores the emphasis and integration of the game in the Cherokee community.

Background: La Crosse virus neuroinvasive disease (LACVND) is the most common cause of arboviral encephalitis in children within the United States; in North Carolina, it is the most prevalent endemic mosquito-borne disease in humans., Methods: Here we report a surveillance summary of confirmed and probable LACVND during 2000-2020 using North Carolina Electronic Disease Surveillance System data, and we describe associated demographic characteristics, spatiotemporal distribution, clinical features, and mortality rates., Results: A total of 355 cases (74.9% confirmed) were reported from 41 North Carolina counties; most cases (92%) occurred in 19 Western North Carolina counties. An average of 17 cases were reported annually with the majority (94%) of cases occurring between mid-June and early October (epiweeks 25-41). The median case age was nine years (range: 1-95 years), 79% were aged ≤ 18 years, and 56.6% were male. Cases commonly presented with headache (95.4%), fever (95.1%), and altered mental status (80.8%); encephalitis (82.0%) and meningitis (45.9%) were frequently diagnosed. Encephalitis was more common in children (87%) than adults (62%) ( P < .001). Similarly, seizures were more common in children (54%) than adults (27%) ( P < .01). The case fatality rate was 1.4%; however, differences in age-specific rates were observed., Limitations: Changes in case definitions and reporting requirements, missing data, different reporting sources, and the retrospective nature of this study are all important limitations of our study., Conclusion: Given the persistent endemicity of La Crosse virus in Western North Carolina, clinicians and public health providers should consider La Crosse virus disease in all individuals, especially children, with compatible symptoms and a travel history to endemic counties. Prevention measures and educational outreach/public health messaging should focus on caregivers and children in Western North Carolina counties and during times when transmission risk is higher (i.e., summer and early fall)., Competing Interests: Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank Mary Nordgulen (Western Carolina University Mosquito and Vector-borne Disease Laboratory) for her assistance with Figure 1. Figure 1 was created using Biorender.com (Agreement Number: OC260BN5WH). Funding: This study was supported, in part, by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Communicable Disease Branch (Contract # 43152) as an Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (NU50CK000530) subcontract (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Disclosure of interests: The authors have no relevant conflicts of interest relating to this study., (Copyright ©2024 by the North Carolina Institute of Medicine and The Duke Endowment. All rights reserved.)

This article uses participant stories across four decades to historicize cultural shifts related to LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion within western North Carolina. In particular, I wish to introduce readers to social justice warrior Holly Boswell (born 1950), a transgender activist and movement influencer who moved to Asheville, North Carolina, in 1976. Holly Boswell co-designed the transgender symbol, created one of the longest running transgender support groups in the country, and pushed for gender neutral bathrooms in Asheville businesses long before HB2 (the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, commonly known as House Bill 2) attempted to mandate bathrooms by birth certificate data. Her scholarship shaped the language of the transgender liberation movement beyond gender binaries, and her advocacy facilitated a paradigm shift toward LGBTQ+ inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whitney Jordan, acquisitions librarian at Western Carolina University (WCU), presented "Shared Insights, Shared Collections" at the 28th Annual North Carolina Serials Conference. In her presentation, Jordan discussed the experiences of WCU and the Western North Carolina Library Network (WNCLN) in a consortium-based evidence-based acquisitions ebook pilot project. The three WNCLN consortium institutions partnered with Taylor & Francis to design an evidence-based ebook program, customized to each institution's needs. Jordan emphasized the need for strong communication and effective project management in any collaborative collections project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although breastfeeding has many nutritional, immune-logical, and positive health outcomes for both mother and infant, the prevalence of breastfeeding among adolescent mothers is low. Understanding the needs of this vulnerable population and the obstacles they face could assist in the development of health promotion strategies and lead to greater participation in breastfeeding practices. The purpose of this study is to understand the role of social support in adolescent mother's breastfeeding practices. Adolescent mothers were recruited at community agencies that implement a North Carolina Health and Human Services funded Adolescent Parenting Program (APP). The project focuses on breastfeeding experiences of APP participants in Western North Carolina, part of the Southern Appalachian region. Participants completed a self-report survey regarding their breastfeeding experiences. Of the 16 participants, most (87.5%) attended a prenatal class where breastfeeding was discussed and most (75%) initiated breastfeeding their infants, while only 12.5% sustained a breastfeeding practice past 4 months. Few felt comfortable breastfeeding at work (31%) or at school (43.8%). All mothers had a healthcare provider or someone at the hospital speak to them about breastfeeding. Perceptions of social support were gathered using the ESSI instrument, validated in cardiac patients. Mothers reported that they had "someone available" to them who showed them "love and affection" (M = 4.625 on 5 point scale). A mother's interpersonal relationship with her healthcare provider, family, and peers can help cultivate empowerment in order for her to navigate the challenges of breastfeeding and directly improve the long-term health outcomes for both the mother and child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the modern periglacial environment of high-latitude and high-altitude regions that extends from the cold limits of forest to the snowline. Within a compact space, several sharply contrasting mountain landscape belts interchange. Living organisms there are particularly affected by cosmic and random-destructive forces. Precisely in these areas, various global geographical, geological, and biological problems are manifested most vividly. The upper limits of agriculture and their importance for high-altitude areas in the main mountain systems of the world are considered. Tourism changes the periglacial environment approach paradigm from the use- and risk-management perspective to the axiological, with attractive categories, angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In western North Carolina, where we and others have been working to build local food systems for the last 15 years, food hubs are part of an expanding network of local food distribution infrastructure intended to help the region's smaller local farms access larger, more mainstream market outlets. The impact of food hubs on the region's evolving food system, however, is contradictory. At the same time that food hubs further the development of local food supply chains and create market opportunities for farms, they can also run contrary to the bigger and longer-term goals of the local food movement. In this viewpoint article, we look critically at the role of nonprofit food hubs in efforts to build local food systems. Speaking from our experiences in the local food movement in western North Carolina and drawing from social movements and food systems scholarship, we argue that food hubs, when used as primary mechanisms of local food system building, can deprive the movement of its capacity to activate broad participation in the food system. We argue that efforts to build local food systems need a foundation of work that engages people (such as farmers, citizens, people who work in the food industry) in processes that can shape the practices, values, and impacts of systems of food production and distribution. While they can mitigate the mismatch between the smaller scale typical of local food and larger mainstream markets, food hubs alone cannot challenge industry norms and practices, and they can even aid the food industry in maintaining the status quo.

This study aims to apply approaches, methods, and indicators from the conceptual framework of ecosystem services valuation to a real world, local level case study. It tests a GIS-based mapping and valuation of ecosystem services model in a typical mountain municipality in Bulgaria. Investigation results address opportunities, challenges and limitations in the practical application of the ecosystem services concept. They include an integrated assessment of the ecosystem services in a specific administrative territorial unit and suggest its Total Economic Value. The introduction of the term "ecosystem services dysergy" should contribute to valuation theory and practice. The study upgrades the currently available knowledge base that supports geospatial planning and sustainable development of the Karlovo Municipality and offers recommendations for improvement of the municipal ecosystem services utilization, which include identification, analysis, and visualization of hotspots and dysergy areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snow cover and its melt dominate regional climate and water resources in many of the world's mountainous regions. Snowmelt timing and magnitude in mountains are controlled predominantly by absorption of solar radiation and the distribution of snow water equivalent (SWE), and yet both of these are very poorly known even in the best-instrumented mountain regions of the globe. Here we describe and present results from the Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO), a coupled imaging spectrometer and scanning lidar, combined with distributed snow modeling, developed for the measurement of snow spectral albedo/broadband albedo and snow depth/SWE. Snow density is simulated over the domain to convert snow depth to SWE. The result presented in this paper is the first operational application of remotely sensed snow albedo and depth/SWE to quantify the volume of water stored in the seasonal snow cover. The weekly values of SWE volume provided by the ASO program represent a critical increase in the information available to hydrologic scientists and resource managers in mountain regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the development and initial results of the Western North Carolina Mounds and Towns Project, a collaborative endeavor initiated by the Tribal Historic Preservation Office of the Eastern Band of Cherokee and the Coweeta Long Term Ecological Research Program at the University of Georgia. The goal of this project is to generate new information about the distribution of late prehistoric mounds and historic period townhouses in western North Carolina. This ongoing research has produced updated location and chronological data for 15 Mississippian period mounds and historic Cherokee townhouses, and led to the discovery of a possible location for the Jasper Allen mound. Using these new data, I suggest that David Hally's model for the territorial size of Mississippian polities provides a useful framework for generating new research questions about social and political change in western North Carolina. I also posit that the cultural practice of rebuilding townhouses in place and on top of Mississippian period platform mounds, a process that Christopher Rodning describes as 'emplacement,' was common across western North Carolina. In terms of broader impacts, this project contributes positively to the development of indigenous archaeology in the Cherokee heartland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In western North Carolina, where we and others have been working to build local food systems for the last 15 years, food hubs are part of an expanding network of local food distribution infrastructure intended to help the region's smaller local farms access larger, more mainstream market outlets. The impact of food hubs on the region's evolving food system, however, is contradictory. At the same time that food hubs further the development of local food supply chains and create market opportunities for farms, they can also run contrary to the bigger and longer-term goals of the local food movement. In this viewpoint article, we look critically at the role of nonprofit food hubs in efforts to build local food systems. Speaking from our experiences in the local food movement in western North Carolina and drawing from social movements and food systems scholarship, we argue that food hubs, when used as primary mechanisms of local food system building, can deprive the movement of its capacity to activate broad participation in the food system. We argue that efforts to build local food systems need a foundation of work that engages people (such as farmers, citizens, people who work in the food industry) in processes that can shape the practices, values, and impacts of systems of food production and distribution. While they can mitigate the mismatch between the smaller scale typical of local food and larger mainstream markets, food hubs alone cannot challenge industry norms and practices, and they can even aid the food industry in maintaining the status quo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miscanthus × giganteus Greef & Deu (giant miscanthus) is a perennial C4 grass grown worldwide for bioenergy production; however, there is concern about whether it can produce high yields on marginal soils in a temperate climate. The goals of this study were to determine whether giant miscanthus could establish and produce yields in Western North Carolina comparable to those in other regions and to determine whether fertilization and biochar could improve yields. At two field sites, Mills River (650 m) and Valle Crucis (830 m), fertilizer (0 and 100 kg NPK ha−1) and biochar (0 and 15 t ha−1) treatments were employed in a fully randomized block design. Genetically identical rhizomes were planted in spring of 2012 and allowed to grow for two growing seasons. No treatment effects were found for gas exchange, but rates were higher at Mills River than at Valle Crucis. There were no biochar or fertilizer effects on yields. First-year yields were greater at Mills River than at Valle Crucis (2.93 and 1.77 Mg dry weight [DW] ha−1, respectively). Overwinter survival rates were 100% at both field sites. Second-year yields were approximately 10× greater than in the first year (27.68 Mg DW ha−1 at Mills River vs. 30.12 Mg DW ha−1 at Valle Crucis). The high survival and growth rates during the first 2 yr demonstrate that this bioenergy crop is capable of growing in Western North Carolina and producing yields comparable to those in other areas of the country where this crop has been grown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North Carolina Division of Public Health Community Transformation Grant Project aims to create healthier communities by facilitating sustainable policy, systems, and environmental change that increase opportunities connected to the four strategic action areas of active living, healthy eating, tobacco-free living, and community-clinical linkages. The evidence-based practices for achieving this work in rural communities is minimal. The work of MountainWise: Region 1 Community Transformation Grant Project seeks to address this need. MountainWise serves the eight most western counties of North Carolina, including Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, and Transylvania. This conference panel paper provides (1) the strategic vision of the regional work, (2) the relevance and power of a customized external communications plan, (3) the integration of health impact assessments for creating healthy communities through improved comprehensive plans, and (4) the relevance of conducting a rural healthy eating assessment to improve community nutrition status. MountainWise seeks to create healthier communities by bringing traditional and non-traditional partners to the decision-making process for each of the four strategic action areas. Policy, systems, and environmental change approaches are promising and essential to addressing health inequities found in rural Appalachian communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores resiliency theory by assessing the ability of communities to adapt and recover economically and socially after a natural disaster. Community resiliency describes the capacity of finding a new equilibrium that is strengthened from change. Resilience can be seen as a strategy to facilitate recovery after a trauma and can be used as a preventative measure to avoid undesired outcomes. Through a qualitative assessment of the HandMade in America programme in three rural communities in Western North Carolina, this paper draws attention to the facilitation of community capital, resulting in social and political networks that allowed these towns to rely on increases in tourism to rebound from the 2004 hurricanes season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snow avalanche runout estimates are core to risk assessment and mitigation for infrastructure development and transportation corridors in mountain regions. Two statistical models, the Runout Ratio model and the alpha-beta model, estimate the extreme runout position using the point where the slope of the avalanche path centerline first reduces to ten degrees (β point). In North America, the β point has traditionally been determined through a field survey of the avalanche path runout zone; however, as they become more accessible, digital elevation models (DEM) are increasingly being used to determine β as part of a preliminary review. While DEM requirements have been identified in avalanche literature, more focus is required on reviewing field error and relating the two methods. We surveyed 53 paths in western Canada, and estimated a field error distribution for the β point with an interquartile range of ±2% of path length and a maximum range of ±6.5% of path length. Five DEMs were sourced with spatial resolutions ranging from 1m to 90m. Of these, a 10m DEM generated the most similar β point estimates to the field survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western North Carolina is water rich, with high annual rainfall and historically low population. Therefore, water management has traditionally not been a significant policy issue. Recent droughts and high population growth, however, have stressed many water supply systems. To deal effectively with these stresses, new policies and management practices have been initiated, prompted by both state mandates and local pressure. As pressures are likely to continue, there is a need to understand what motivates policy development and what processes decision makers use when creating water management policies and programs. Previous research finds that decision makers are apt to base decisions on perceptions, personal beliefs and historical practice rather than on relevant water data. In this study, survey results are used to understand how decision-maker perceptions about water availability, growth, and environmental concerns correlate with water allocation and conservation policies. Results indicate that respondents are only moderately concerned about water availability and drought is the primary concern, rather than population growth. Few of these decision makers have implemented water education programs, but many have implemented drought-related conservation programs. Environmental concerns related to water management are quite low among all respondents.Environmental Practice 16: 94–101 (2014) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Context: In the U.S., the number of hospital-based palliative care programs has increased rapidly, but availability of outpatient palliative care remains limited. Multiple barriers impede the financial viability of these programs. Four Seasons, a nonprofit organization in western North Carolina, delivers a full spectrum of palliative care in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, patients'' homes, and outpatient clinics; its catchment area encompasses approximately 350,000 people. Initially focused on hospice care, Four Seasons added its palliative care program in 2003. Before the inquiry described herein, financial losses from outpatient palliative care (2003–2008) were escalating. Objectives: We explored organizational and financial barriers to sustainability of palliative care, so as to 1) identify reasons for financial losses; 2) devise and implement solutions; and 3) develop a sustainable model for palliative care delivery across settings, including the outpatient setting. Methods: In 2008, Four Seasons''s palliative care program served 305 patients per day (average) with 10.5 providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants); financial losses approached $400,000 per year. We used Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement cycles to identify challenges to and inefficiencies in service provision, developed targeted strategies for overcoming identified barriers to cost-efficiency, instituted these measures, and tracked results. Results: In 2011, Four Seasons served 620 palliative care patients per day (average) with 14 providers; financial losses decreased by 40%. Conclusion: With health care reform promoting integration of care across settings, outpatient palliative care will gain importance in the health care continuum. Process changes can help reduce financial losses that currently impede outpatient palliative care programs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the ginseng industry in the Southern Appalachian Region, particularly Western North Carolina, from 1865 through 1900. An overview of the ginseng industry entrepreneur E.B. Olmsted, including his purchase of land in Cherokee County, North Carolina, is provided. The economic aspects of ginseng, including the international ginseng trade, are discussed. An overview of those who foraged for ginseng, who were known as sang diggers, is also provided.

The article presents a study which aims to quantify the adsorption and movement of imidacloprid in forest soils after soil injection at Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in western North Carolina. Soils differed in effective cation exchange capacity, total nitrogen and carbon content, and profile depth. Extractable imidacloprid and soil solution concentrations were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The study shows that extractable imidaclopird and soil solution concentrations were greater in the site having greater soil organic matter.

Abstract: The diversity of soils and complexity of soil cover in humid tropics and subtropics, especially in the mountain regions, cannot be fully explained by climatic control over soil formation. The objective of the research was to investigate the role of time and erosion processes as factors controlling soil diversity in humid tropical and subtropical mountains that differ in the characteristics of the parent rocks. The study is based on the concept of two main pathways of the weathering of silicate rocks, depending on whether phyllosilicates are present or lacking in their composition. This has a direct relationship to thickness and properties of the weathered mantle. A chronosequence of soils on river and marine terraces developed on weathered chloritized diabase porphyrites were studied in humid subtropics of the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, Georgia. On a terrace sequence with sand and pebble marine sediments that ranges in age from 1000 to 500000years, Regosols, Ferralic Cambisols, Haplic Nitisols and Stagnic Acrisols are defined as consecutive stages of time-dependent soil formation. An erosional soil sequence in the hilly-mountain area of this region shows “regressive soil development”, from Stagnic Acrisols to Regosols/Leptosols. The erosion truncates relatively thick pre-erosion soils and regolith layer-by-layer; the exposed deep horizons play the role of parent rock for soil formation. In addition, soil sequences traced across hillslopes composed of serpentinite, ultrabasic and sedimentary rocks devoid of phyllosilicates have been studied in tropical regions of western Cuba. A mosaic of Ferralsols, Cambisols and Leptosols was formed under erosional impact on pre-erosion shallow soils and regolith. Time-dependent and erosion-dependent regularities of pedogenesis play an essential role in soil diversity and usually complicate initial soilscape, leading to formation of soils typical for extra-tropical/subtropical conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: During the 18th century A.D., leadership roles within Cherokee towns in the southern Appalachians were closely tied to gender distinctions between women and men. This paper examines mortuary patterns from the Coweeta Creek site, located in the upper Little Tennessee Valley in southwestern North Carolina, with an interest in gender ideology and leadership roles within the local Cherokee community from the 15th through 18th centuries A.D. During the 1400s, there were several houses at the site, and some burials were placed within those structures. During the 1600s, there developed a more formal layout of public and domestic architecture at the site, with many burials still placed inside or beside structures. Mortuary data from the site indicate the presence of distinct and parallel paths to status and prestige for men and women in this community. They also demonstrate an emphasis on male roles and statuses in the years following European contact in the Southeast. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Approximately 390 native North American crayfish species are known, representing nearly two-thirds of the world's crayfish fauna. The majority of these species occur in the southeastern United States. North Carolina supports a substantial proportion of that diversity with 41 described indigenous crayfish species, 12 of which are endemic, and 3 introduced species, many of which are of significant conservation interest. In the late 1990s, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) began a focused effort to inventory and establish baselines for monitoring populations of both native stream-dwelling and burrowing crayfishes and invasive non-native species. During 2004-2005, that effort was completed for the Hiwassee, Little Tennessee, Savannah, French Broad, Watauga, New, Catawba, and Broad river basins in western North Carolina. Twenty-four stream-dwelling species and 5 burrowing species were collected from 199 stream sites and 58 burrowing sites. New records for many species, including a new river basin record for Cambarus reduncus (Sickle Crayfish), and new county records for C. howardi (Chattahoochee Crayfish), C. dubius (Upland Burrowing Crayfish), and C. nodosus (Knotty Burrowing Crayfish), were determined during these surveys. Small range expansions were documented for Orconectes virilis (Virile Crayfish; not native to North Carolina) and for Procambarus acutus (White River Crawfish; introduced outside its native range in North Carolina). We failed to detect the non-native O. rusticus (Rusty Crayfish), and P. clarkii (Red Swamp Crawfish) at or near previously reported localities. Observations of life-history traits, such as reproductive condition, fecundity, and habitat use were recorded. Specimens were also provided to crayfish taxonomists to help resolve certain taxonomic problems and to assist in the completion of new species descriptions. Data collected during this and previous NCWRC inventories, as well as data obtained from the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences, North Carolina Division of Water Quality, Ohio State University, and other cooperators, were incorporated into a detailed GIS database. This database was used to identify data gaps to guide sampling efforts and to assess species and population status. In the future, this GIS database should provide a useful tool in monitoring the status of native crayfish populations and the spread of invasive species, and informing conservation and management decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides are a significant hazard in the mountains of North Carolina. While previous studies have estimated the critical instantaneous rainfall rates that may trigger a landslide, very little is known about the climatology of rainfall events associated with landslides. The rainfall climatology of a sample of landslide events in western North Carolina from 1950 to 2004 is presented in two parts. First, the two-day concurrent and cumulative antecedent (from 4 to 90 days prior to slope movement) rainfall totals are assessed climatologically by ranking them relative to all heavy precipitation events observed in western North Carolina over a 55-year period. Second, the storm types responsible for the rainfall associated with each landslide event are determined using a manual weather map classification scheme. Forty-seven percent (47%) of the landslide events are connected with concurrent rainfall totals that exceed a one-year return period. In almost half of these cases, the heavy rainfall is associated with a tropical cyclone passing through the region. The other major storm types connected with landslide events (i.e., synoptic and cyclonic-type events) generally display lower rainfall intensities and longer durations compared to tropical cyclones. Landslide activity shows the strongest relationship with antecedent precipitation totals over a 90-day period, which is the longest time period examined in the study. In many cases, a tropical cyclone produced heavy rainfall over the landslide location between 30 and 90 days before the event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern Appalachia is unique among agroecological regions of the American South because of the diverse environmental conditions caused by its mountain ecology, the geographic and commercial isolation of the region, and the relative cultural autonomy of the people that live there. Those three criteria, combined with a rich agricultural history and the continuance of the homegardening tradition, make southern Appalachia an area of relatively high crop biodiversity in America. This study investigated the history and survival of traditional heirloom vegetable crops in western North Carolina and documented 134 heirloom varieties that were still being grown. I conducted interviews with 26 individuals from 12 counties in western North Carolina. I used a snowball sampling method to identify individuals or communities that maintained heirloom vegetable varieties, and used the “memory banking” of farmers’ knowledge as a strategy to complement the gathering of seed specimens. Most of the varieties were grown and saved by homegardeners; beans were the most numerous. Results indicate that usually only one or two individuals in a community maintained significant numbers of heirloom varieties and that many communities have lost their heirloom vegetable heritage altogether. The decline of the farming population combined with a lack of cultural continuance in family seed-saving traditions threatens the ability of communities to maintain crop biodiversity. Some of the cultivars may represent the last (small) populations of endangered varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine whether or not there is poorer geographic access to health care in more rural counties. Possible inequalities in health care access and utilization were examined for populations living in twelve counties in the mountain region of North Carolina with different degrees of rurality, defined by Beale Code groupings based on urban population size and adjacency to a metro area. Several measures of availability, geographic accessibility, and utilization of practitioners were employed in the study. Data were derived from the U.S. Census, public and proprietary physician databases, and a household survey of 1,059 households. Overall, with some small exceptions, there was little difference in access by degree of rurality at the Beale Code level of analysis. Some types of access were better for more rural populations and some were better for less rural populations. Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) guidelines for population to primary care physician ratios, and Health and Services Administration (Bureau of Health Professions) guidelines for travel time and distances were met for the majority of the population. The related issues of how to measure rurality and appropriate geographic scales of analysis are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Microdenticles (with lengths in the micron-submicron range rather than tens of microns) are developed on the lateral surfaces of larger “classic” denticles on naturally weathered hornblende from weathered amphibolite of the Carroll Knob Complex in western North Carolina. Microdenticles share the shape and orientation of the larger more typical denticles, producing arrays of microdenticles that give the larger host denticle the appearance of a surface covered with imbricate pointed or rounded scales. The arrays of imbricate microdenticles are formed by low-temperature aqueous alteration during weathering of the Carroll Knob Complex hornblende; they are later-stage corrosion forms on already-corroded surfaces of hornblende that show larger-scale evidence of typical weathering. In the Carroll Knob occurrence, hornblende microdenticles are associated with dilute weathering solutions, suggesting possible control by extreme undersaturation of solutions with respect to hornblende. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In 2016, an intense drought occurred in the southeastern U.S. Dry conditions resulted in unprecedented wildfires throughout the southern Appalachian Mountains, especially in western North Carolina (WNC). Future climate change is expected to increase temperatures, alter precipitation, and stress water resources in the region, which could lead to more frequent drought and wildfire. The increasing threat of destructive wildfires combined with a growing wildland-urban interface indicate a need for a comprehensive assessment of wildfire vulnerability in WNC, while recent wildfires offer an opportunity to evaluate assessment accuracy. The study identifies locations vulnerable to wildfire in WNC based on wildfires from 1985 through 2016. By combining tract-level socioeconomic and physical data in a geographic information system, specific locations of vulnerability were identified and validated using wildfire perimeters from 2016. Unlike previous vulnerability research, this study integrates novel methods in GIS, including analytical hierarchical processing, validation, and GIS multi-decision criteria decision making to ensure vulnerability is accurately calculated. The vulnerability index indicates that social vulnerability varies greatly throughout the region, while physical and overall wildfire vulnerability is greatest in rural, mountainous portions of the region, which are less equipped for mitigation. Based on the results, the impacts of future wildfires on quality of life will vary across the region, so targeted responses are needed. The vulnerability index provides transparency to vulnerable communities, enabling policymakers to identify opportunities to prepare for resilience by targeting vulnerability hotspots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]