September 24, 2003 News
Releases
Released 9/19/03 & 9/22/03
UTAH STATE NEWS RELEASES FOR 09-22-03
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
HOLDS FIRST HISPANIC READ-IN OCT. 1
LOGAN — Following the success of last year's African
American and Native American celebrations of literary heritage,
Utah State University will hold its first Hispanic Read-In Wednesday,
Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Taggart Student Center
Sunburst Lounge on campus.
Organized by department of English associate professor Patricia
Gantt and Christine Christensen of Utah State's Multicultural
Student Services, the event will feature works by Hispanic authors
read by students, faculty and administrators. Readings will
be in both Spanish and English. This event is part of Hispanic
Heritage Week and is sponsored by the Hispanic Students Organization,
the Tri-Council for Gender Programs, Multicultural Student Services
and the English department.
For more information or to sign up as a reader for the event,
contact Christine Christensen at chrisms@cc.usu.edu.
September 22, 2003
Contact: Christine Christensen (chrisms@cc.usu.edu)
Writer: Marina Hall (435) 797-3858
BEETLES
AND FIRE SHAPE THE FOREST
LOGAN — Over the last 25 years spruce beetles have killed
more large trees in Utah than fire has. In large portions of
the Dixie, Fish Lake and Manti-LaSal national forests, up to
80 percent of the spruce trees have been killed by beetles.
Some argue that this massive loss of mature spruce is a natural
condition, said Darren McAvoy, research associate with the Utah
State Extension forestry program. Others point out that heavy
logging and burning associated with settlement, followed by
excessive livestock grazing and 100 years of fire suppression,
have created an unnatural forest condition.
For most people living today, a forest fire has been a rare
sight, McAvoy said. But this may not have always been the case.
Note this description from John Wesley Powell on his 1878 expedition:
"Everywhere throughout the Rocky Mountain Region the explorer
away from the beaten paths of civilization meets with great
areas of dead forestspines with naked arms and charred trunks
attesting to the former presence of this great destroyer. The
younger forests are everywhere beset with fallen timber, attesting
to the rigor of the flames, and in seasons of great drought
the mountaineer sees the heavens filled with clouds of smoke."
While aiming for pre-settlement conditions is not necessarily
obtainable or desirable, it's equally important to understand
that the way forests are now is not the way they used to be,
McAvoy said. Forests cannot, and should not, be managed in the
same way they were naturally maintained prior to settlement.
Some scientists refer to today's massive spruce tree die-off
as an "ecological rotation," McAvoy said. This idea
is similar to a crop rotation, where trees of a certain species
and location are expected to mature to harvestable size in a
determined number of years.
"What many scientists suspect is that similar massive spruce
beetle-induced mortality events may have occurred 400 to 500
years ago, thereby creating the evenly aged forest we commonly
see today," he said. "At that time, however, occasional
fires that occurred naturally created openings in which younger
trees grew, providing a diversity of ages and sizes that is
lacking in many Utah forests today."
So, could this spruce beetle invasion have been stopped?
Although there is no clear answer, some resource professionals
believe that if the outbreak had been attacked with the same
vigor applied to suppressing wildfires, time could have been
bought to mitigate some of the impacts, McAvoy said. Perhaps
by occasionally thinning these stands and using fire in some
locations, conditions more favorable to tree regeneration would
exist. The resulting increase in age and size diversity may
have led to a reduced risk of severe spruce beetle outbreak.
Spruce beetles prefer large diameter trees. Continually creating
conditions that promote the growth of small trees, while also
retaining many large trees, results in a greater diversity of
tree ages and sizes. Diversity lends itself to stability, making
these stands more resistant to the kind of large-scale tree
mortality witnessed on many Utah forests today.
September 22, 2003
Writer: Dennis Hinkamp 435-797-1392
Contact: Darren McAvoy 435-797-0560
UTAH STATE NEWS RELEASES FOR 09-19-03
AGGIE FAMILY
DAY COMBINES INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION AND FUN
LOGAN — Get close to Utah State University's Wright
Flyer. The space-age replica of the Wright brothers' historic
plane will be on display for this year's Aggie Family Day on
the Utah State University Quad, Saturday, Sept. 27, from 1-4:30
p.m.
Aggie Family Day is free and open to the public. Parents are
encouraged to bring the whole family.
"The event is the perfect family activity before an Aggie
football game," said event organizer Scott Olson, the Utah
State Alumni Association's director of major events.
Numerous activities and exhibits are planned for the afternoon,
thanks to the generosity of the USU Alumni Association and Utah
State’s colleges and departments.
In addition to the Wright Flyer, provided by the College of
Engineering, there will be a hunter safety demonstration sponsored
by the College of Natural Resources. Both children and adults
can enjoy the College of Science's bug collection, and Aggie
pride can be shown with the College of Education's face painting.
The Alumni Association will provide a climbing wall for outdoor
enthusiasts and a large inflatable slide for those who want
a thrill.
"Although especially exciting for children, Aggie Family
Day will appeal to all ages," said Olson. "Our goal
is to get more children involved. We want to make children aware
of the importance of higher education while also showing them
that it can be a good time."
A hamburger (with chips and drink) cooked by the Utah State
Parents Association can be purchased for $1. Aggie Family Day
is sponsored by the Utah State Alumni Association. The Aggie
football game against the University of Louisiana-Monroe follows
at 6 p.m. in Romney Stadium. Call 797-0305 for game ticket information.
September 19, 2003
Contact: Scott Olson (435) 797-0931
GUEST SPEAKER
IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS/ARTIST SERIES AT UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
LOGAN — Approximately a year and a half ago the department
of landscape architecture and environmental planning at Utah
State University initiated an ambitious program that brought
noted landscape architects and artists to campus. These visits
provided outstanding educational and intellectual experiences
for students and community members alike, said faculty member
John Ellsworth. Noted guests included Andrew Spurlock and Robert
Irwin the first year, and Alan Ward and Martha Schwartz last
year.
The series, a collaborative effort between LAEP and the department
of art, continues and kicks off the 2003-04 academic year with
a visit by noted landscape architect Robert Murase. The lecture
series is made possible by a grant from the Marie Eccles Caine
Foundation.
As part of his visit, Murase will provide two public sessions.
The first, an informal discussion of his work, is presented
Friday, Oct. 3, from 9:30-11 a.m. at the Nora Eccles Harrison
Museum of Art on the Utah State campus. A more formal presentation
is offered that afternoon from 3–4:30 p.m. in the Eccles
Science Learning Center Emert Auditorium. Both presentations
are free and all are invited.
Murase is a landscape architect with more than 39 years of experience.
According to his firm's biographical information, his work,
found in the United States, Asia and the Caribbean, reveals
and develops landscapes of diversity and contradiction. An internationally
recognized designer, his projects have won national design awards
and are featured in architectural magazines, journals and books.
Tracing 100 years of Japanese-American history, "Touching
the Stones" is a book based on his design of the Japanese
American Historical Plaza.
Discussing the Japanese American Historical Plaza in Portland,
Ore., Joseph Esherick stated: "It is a beautiful monument,
set easily in an otherwise busy, urban waterfront. It evokes
memories of the tragic internment of so many loyal United States
citizens and at the same time expresses the beauty of their
loyalty and deep beliefs in this country. While the memorial
commemorates a somber and sorry episode, it does not dwell on
the negative aspects of that episode but rather communicates
in the sculpture and especially in the moving poetry, the positive
and affirmative attitudes of those Japanese Americans whose
faith never withered or died.
"It is above all a memorable expression of affirmation
and forgiveness. It is a beautifully done work."
Murase Associates provides landscape architecture, site art,
urban design and planning services to a wide variety of public
and private clients, the firm's Web site states. The firm employs
24 professionals and has been responsible for the landscape
planning and design of municipal and civic parks and plazas,
open space developments, museums and interpretive centers, university
campuses, commercial office developments and public service
buildings. The firm has developed a reputation for creating
elegant and artistic, yet practical landscapes that incorporate
an environmentally sustainable approach.
For more information about the guest speaker series or Murase,
contact John Ellsworth in the LAEP department at (435) 797-0504
or via email at john.ellsworth@usu.edu.
September 19, 2003
Contact: John Ellsworth (435) 797-0504
Writer: Patrick Williams (435) 797-1354
WHEN IS A PLUM
A PRUNE?
LOGAN — Is there a point in the drying process when a
grape suddenly becomes a raisin? If a plum is only slightly
dry, is it a wet prune or a dry plum? Why do we change the names
of some things when we dry them, and not others? These are all
questions for consideration, said Jerry Goodspeed, Utah State
University Extension horticulturist.
"People have asked me if they can grow a prune tree in
our area," he said. "What is a prune tree? Perhaps
it’s a dried-up-plum tree."
Regardless of what they are called, plum trees are one of the
hardiest fruit trees grown in the Intermountain area, said Goodspeed.
This versatile fruit can be dried (creating prunes somehow),
eaten fresh, made into jellies and jams, frozen, bottled or
made into juice.
"Two types of cultivated plums can be grown in northern
Utah," he said. "Some native American varieties are
also grown, but typically they are not cultivated in home orchards.
The most popular variety for fresh eating is the Japanese plum.
They are typically red-purple to yellow in color, very firm,
low in sugar and almost exclusively used for fresh eating. Japanese
plums are not dried to make prunes."
The European plum is normally blue to purple in color and very
high in sugar. The high sugar content makes the fruit great
for drying and creating prunes, said Goodspeed. The fruit typically
is a little softer than a Japanese plum, but its high sugar
content makes it more desirable for jellies and preserves.
Like all stone fruits, plums prefer well-drained soil, he noted.
They are a little more tolerant of wet, heavy soils than some
of the more fussy stone fruits, like cherries and peaches, but
still develop problems if over-watered or grown in a high water
table area.
"Plums are very hardy," Goodspeed said. "Some
native American varieties, like Pottawattamie, can survive some
of the harshest climates the United States experiences. Although
Japanese and European plums are hardy, a late frost or severe
winter can eliminate the fruit. The tree will survive, but not
the fruit."
All plum trees produce fruit on spurs, much like an apple or
pear. These spurs can live for many years, and should be protected.
Spurs resemble small, stubby stems, and are found on most wood
throughout the tree, he said. Each spur produces between one
to three plums.
Plums do best when cross-pollinated. This means, for optimal
production, plant at least two — either two European or
two Japanese. Keep in mind that a Japanese plum will not pollinate
a European variety very well, said Goodspeed. Although cross-pollination
increases fruit production, many European plums can produce
an acceptable crop without a cross-pollinator.
A few of the more popular European varieties include Italian,
Stanley, Green Gage, Brooks and President. These sweet plums
can be eaten fresh, but are more commonly dried, creating prunes,
he said. Japanese plum varieties grown in our area include Santa
Rosa, Satsuma, Shiro and Elephant Heart. These plums are great
for eating fresh, but not as prunes.
"This is a good time of year to sample locally-grown plums,"
Goodspeed concluded. "They are available at fruit stands
or possibly from a neighbor. I believe what comes right off
the tree is a plum. However, if the fresh fruit starts to dry,
it may be a prune, unless it is a Japanese plum, which I guess
is just a dried plum."
September 19, 2003
Writer: Julene Reese, 435-797-1363
Contact: Jerry Goodspeed, 801-392-8908
ASK A SPECIALIST:
WHAT SHOULD I DO TO PREPARE MY LAWN FOR WINTER?
The cool evening temperatures have probably strengthened your
lawn. You may notice improved grass color and density. Consider
these tips to enhance the grass's recovery and to prepare your
lawn for winter. Keep in mind that the things you do now for
your lawn play a key role in how well it will fare during next
summer's hot, dry months.
• Apply fertilizer during the month of September. It is
likely your lawn will need supplemental fertilization after
the hot summer months. Apply one pound of slow-release nitrogen
fertilizer per thousand square feet of lawn. This will help
the lawn recover from summer stresses and will further improve
grass color and density.
• Cut back on lawn irrigation. As the cooler weather
intensifies, grass does not need as much irrigation as it did
during the heat of the summer. Now is the perfect opportunity
to conserve water. A great deal of water is wasted in the fall
because irrigation controllers are not adjusted for cooler temperatures.
• Assess your aeration needs. If you’ve experienced
thatch or compaction problems, fall is a good time to perform
a routine core aeration. This will improve air and water movement
to the soil. It will also help break up thatch and decrease
compaction.
• Prepare for your final mowing. As the weather gets
cooler, your lawn will grow more slowly. A healthy mowing height
of 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches promotes root growth and stress tolerance
during the summer, but your final mowing of the season should
be much shorter. A mowing height of 1 to 1 1/2 inches will reduce
the chances of snow mold disease. Grass blades left long over
the winter can lay over and increase humidity beneath snow cover.
If there is a lengthy snow cover, snow mold disease can occur.
• Apply your last fertilization. This should be done
in addition to the September fertilization, and immediately
following the final mowing of the season. The last fertilization
is probably the most critical of the entire growing season and
should not be missed. Research has shown that a late fall fertilization
provides the most benefit and drought tolerance to the lawn
the following summer. Once again, nitrogen is of primary concern.
After your last mowing, apply one pound of quick-release nitrogen
fertilizer per thousand square feet of lawn. It is important
that the nitrogen source be quick-release so grass has the chance
to take it up before going dormant.
• For information on other yard and garden topics, visit
http//extension.usu.edu/coop/garden
______
Direct column topics to Julene Reese, Utah State University
Extension, Logan, UT 84322-4900; 435-797-1363; julener@sunrem.com
Sept. 19, 2003
Answer by Kelly Kopp, Utah State University Extension
Water Conservation and Turfgrass Specialist
utah
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