The Fire, Pruning, and Coppice Management of Temperate Ecosystems for Basketry Material by California Indian Tribes

Straight growth forms of wild shrubs and trees unaffected by insects, diseases, or accumulated dead material have been valued cross-culturally for millennia for use in basketry, yet these growth forms do not occur readily in nature without disturbance. California data are presented that demonstrate how fire and pruning were ancienthorticultural techniques that were utilized by Native Americans in various temperate ecosystems to shape ecosystem structure, reduce the occurrence of insects and diseases, and activate specific developmental stages in shrubs and trees for twined and coiled basketry.Itis suggested that the magnitude and extent of burning applied to wildlands for basketry and many other cultural purposes in most indigenous cultures in California have been drastically underestimated in the published literature. A methodological approach is outlined for unraveling past and present-day wildland management for basketry materials in various temperate regions. Working hypotheses to explain the ecological rationale for indigenous management at both the organismic and ecosystemic level are proposed.     

Some Observations On Theputative Fremont ”Presence” In Southern Idaho

Abstract

Detailed attribute-oriented reanalysis of prehistoric coiled basketry from a series of rockshelters in southern Idaho affirms the probable presence of Fremont populations in that area as suggested by a variety of authorities. Additionally, a thorough comparison of the prehistoric Fremont basketry from the study area with ethnographic material indicates that there is absolutely no connection in the technology of basketry production between the Fremont and their Numic speaking successors. This in turn supports the notion that the Numic speakers were a relatively late arrival to southern Idaho and contiguous areas and further indicates that the alleged millennia-long ethnic/ linguistic continuity hypothesized for the study area is spurious.     

Community participation in preservation of lowcountry South Carolina sweetgrass (muhlenbergia filipes [m. a. curtis] J. Pinson and W. Batson) Basketry

Sweetgrass (Muhlenbergia filipes [M. A. Curtis] J. Pinson and W. Batson) is a coastal, nontimber forest resource ranging from North Carolina southwestward to Texas. The plant has special cultural and economic importance in coastal South Carolina, where the local Gullah community uses this resource in a form of coiled basketry. The plant is becoming increasingly unavailable to basket makers, however, because of habitat destruction, habitat limitation, and private ownership of the resource. This study examines stakeholder involvement in and perceptions of past and current sweetgrass management. Twenty-three interviews were conducted with Charleston, South Carolina area basket makers and were analyzed for emergent themes using content analysis, a technique permitting objective analysis of text. Survey respondents identified residential development as a major cause of sweetgrass inaccessibility and indicated that purchasing raw materials has become standard practice. Furthermore, respondents indicated several potential solutions to the problem and expressed their willingness to contribute time to management efforts.     

Brief communication: Evolution of a specific O allele (O1vG542A) supports unique ancestry of Native Americans

In this study, we explore the geographic and temporal distribution of a unique variant of the O blood group allele called O1v^G542A, which has been shown to be shared among Native Americans but is rare in other populations. O1v^G542A was previously reported in Native American populations in Mesoamerica and South America, and has been proposed as an ancestry informative marker. We investigated whether this allele is also found in the Tlingit and Haida, two contemporary indigenous populations from Alaska, and a pre‐Columbian population from California. If O1v^G542A is present in Na‐Dene speakers (i.e., Tlingits), it would indicate that Na‐Dene speaking groups share close ancestry with other Native American groups and support a Beringian origin of the allele, consistent with the Beringian Incubation Model. If O1v^G542A is found in pre‐Columbian populations, it would further support a Beringian origin of the allele, rather than a more recent introduction of the allele into the Americas via gene flow from one or more populations which have admixed with Native Americans over the past five centuries. We identified this allele in one Na‐Dene population at a frequency of 0.11, and one ancient California population at a frequency of 0.20. Our results support a Beringian origin of O1v^G542A, which is distributed today among all Native American groups that have been genotyped in appreciable numbers at this locus. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that Na‐Dene and other Native American populations primarily derive their ancestry from a single source population. Am J Phys Anthropol 151:649–657, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Did Native Americans influence the northward migration of plants during the Holocene?

Abstract Long‐distance plant dispersal explains the rapid northward migration of plant species during the Holocene but the mechanisms by which it occurred are poorly understood. Given that Native Americans spread numerous cultigens over thousands of kilometres during the late Holocene, I examined historical literature for evidence of non‐cultigen dispersal or cultivation in North America's eastern woodlands. Cultivation references are included because a strong relationship between dispersal and indigenous flora husbandry is assumed. Sixty‐seven texts describing Native American lifestyle, cultural activities, and land management reported some form of plant use. Most accounts, however, focus on cultigen production or the use of indigenous flora for medicine or food without mention of dispersal. Twenty‐four of the texts described the trade, transport, or cultivation of plants indigenous to eastern North American woodlands. Most accounts focus on the informal production of food plants, especially trees and shrubs. Confounding these reports was clear evidence of observer bias, limited botanical knowledge, acculturation, and secrecy by Native American informants. Because of these shortcomings, the likelihood of widespread long‐distance plant dispersal by Native Americans could not be determined using historical literature. This activity was either not widespread or was not observed by, or revealed to, Europeans. To adequately test the Native American plant dispersal hypothesis, direct evidence from other sources (e.g. archaeobotancial data) will be required.     

Ancient mitochondrial DNA evidence for prehistoric population movement: the Numic expansion

The mitochondrial DNA of modern Native Americans has been shown to fall into one of at least five haplogroups (A, B, C, D, or X) whose frequencies differ among tribal groups. The frequencies of these five haplogroups in a collection of ancient individuals from Western Nevada dating to between approximately 350-9,200 years BP were determined. These data were used to test the hypothesis, supported by archaeological and linguistic data, that the current inhabitants of the Great Basin, the Numic speakers, are recent immigrants into the area who replaced the previous non-Numic inhabitants. The frequency distributions of haplogroups in the ancient and modern Native Americans differed significantly, suggesting that there is a genetic discontinuity between the ancient inhabitants and the modern Numic speakers, providing further support for the Recent Numic Expansion hypothesis. The distribution of mitochondrial haplogroups of the ancient inhabitants of the Great Basin is most similar to those of some of the modern Native American inhabitants of California.     

Phragmites use by Native North Americans

Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. occurred in North America in pre-Columbian time but has spread greatly and become invasive in the north-central and northeastern US during the 1900s. At least 46 Native North American tribes were reported to use Phragmites historically, and we compiled statistical data from the literature on 24 of these tribes. There were approximately 75 different uses of Phragmites. Each tribe had 2–25 (mean=7.0) uses for Phragmites, of which the most frequent were: arrowshaft (17 tribes), cigarette (13), flute (12), whistle (7), pipestem (7), and matting (6). Number of uses per tribe was highest in the SouthWestern quadrant of North America, and was negatively correlated with latitude but not correlated with longitude. The apparent center of Phragmites availability and use in the SouthWestern United States is consistent with occurrence of Phragmites in pre-Columbian sediments and archaeological deposits, and at least two specialized Phragmites-using animals. The ethnobotanical importance of Phragmites should be considered in management of this plant.     

Submersion as a tactic to prevent emergence of emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis from black ash logs

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Biogeography of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phragmites</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">australis</Emphasis> lineages in the southwestern United States

The environmental and social impacts of Phragmites australis invasion have been extensively studied in the eastern United States. In the West where the invasion is relatively recent, a lack of information on distributions and spread has limited our ability to manage invasive populations or assess whether native populations will experience a decline similar to that in the East. Between 2006 and 2015, we evaluated the genetic status, distribution, and soil properties (pH, electrical conductivity, and soil texture) of Phragmites stands in wetlands and riparian systems throughout the Southwest. Native (subspecies americanus), Introduced (haplotype M), and Gulf Coast (subspecies berlandieri) Phragmites lineages were identified in the survey region, as well as watershed-scale hybridization between the Native and Introduced lineages in southern Nevada. Two Asian haplotypes (P and Q) that were previously not known to occur in North America were found in California. The Native lineage was the most frequent and widespread across the region, with four cpDNA haplotypes (A, B, H, and AR) occurring at low densities in all wetland types. Most Introduced Phragmites stands were in or near major urban centers and associated with anthropogenic disturbance in wetlands and rivers, and we document their spread in the region, which is likely facilitated by transportation and urban development. Soil pH of Native and hybrid stands was higher (averaging 8.3 and 8.6, respectively) than Introduced stands (pH of 7.5) and was the only soil property that differed among lineages. Continued monitoring of all Phragmites lineages in the Southwest will aid in assessing the conservation status of Native populations and developing management priorities for non-native stands.     

Biological invasion into the nested assemblage of tree–beetle associations on the oceanic Ogasawara Islands

Invasion by alien organisms is a common worldwide phenomenon, and many alien species invade native communities. Invasion by alien species is especially likely to occur on oceanic islands. To determine how alien species become integrated into island plant–insect associations, we analyzed the structure of tree–beetle associations using host plant records for larval feeding by wood-feeding beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) on the oceanic Ogasawara Islands in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. The host plant records comprised 109 associations among 28 tree (including 8 alien) and 26 cerambycid (including 5 alien) species. Of these associations, 41.3% involved at least one alien species. Most native cerambycid species feed on host trees that have recently died. Alien trees were used by as many native cerambycid species (but by significantly more alien cerambycid species) as were native trees. Native cerambycid species used as many alien tree species (but significantly more native tree species) as did alien cerambycids. Thus, we observed many types of interactions among native and alien species. A network analysis revealed a significant nested structure in tree–cerambycid associations regardless of whether alien species were excluded from the analysis. The original nested associations on the Ogasawara Islands may thus have accepted alien species.     

Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP) in U.S. Latinas and Chileans: Clinical features,Ancestry Analysis,and Admixture Mapping

In the Americas, women with Indigenous American ancestry are at increased risk of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), relative to women of other ethnicities. We hypothesized that ancestry-related genetic factors contribute to this increased risk. We collected clinical and laboratory data, and performed biochemical assays on samples from U.S. Latinas and Chilean women, with and without ICP. The study sample included 198 women with ICP (90 from California, U.S., and 108 from Chile) and 174 pregnant control women (69 from California, U.S., and 105 from Chile). SNP genotyping was performed using Affymetrix arrays. We compared overall genetic ancestry between cases and controls, and used a genome-wide admixture mapping approach to screen for ICP susceptibility loci. We identified commonalities and differences in features of ICP between the 2 countries and determined that cases had a greater proportion of Indigenous American ancestry than did controls (p = 0.034). We performed admixture mapping, taking country of origin into account, and identified one locus for which Native American ancestry was associated with increased risk of ICP at a genome-wide level of significance (P = 3.1 x 10^-5, P_corrected = 0.035). This locus has an odds ratio of 4.48 (95% CI: 2.21-9.06) for 2 versus zero Indigenous American chromosomes. This locus lies on chromosome 2, with a 10 Mb 95% confidence interval which does not contain any previously identified hereditary ‘cholestasis genes.’ Our results indicate that genetic factors contribute to the risk of developing ICP in the Americas, and support the utility of clinical and genetic studies of ethnically mixed populations for increasing our understanding of ICP.     

The Evolution and Structure Prediction of Coiled Coils across All Genomes

Coiled coils are α-helical interactions found in many natural proteins. Various sequence-based coiled-coil predictors are available, but key issues remain: oligomeric state and protein-protein interface prediction and extension to all genomes. We present SpiriCoil (http://supfam.org/SUPERFAMILY/spiricoil), which is based on a novel approach to the coiled-coil prediction problem for coiled coils that fall into known superfamilies: hundreds of hidden Markov models representing coiled-coil-containing domain families. Using whole domains gives the advantage that sequences flanking the coiled coils help. SpiriCoil performs at least as well as existing methods at detecting coiled coils and significantly advances the state of the art for oligomer state prediction. SpiriCoil has been run on over 16 million sequences, including all completely sequenced genomes (more than 1200), and a resulting Web interface supplies data downloads, alignments, scores, oligomeric state classifications, three-dimensional homology models and visualisation. This has allowed, for the first time, a genomewide analysis of coiled-coil evolution. We found that coiled coils have arisen independently de novo well over a hundred times, and these are observed in 16 different oligomeric states. Coiled coils in almost all oligomeric states were present in the last universal common ancestor of life. The vast majority of occasions that individual coiled coils have arisen de novo were before the last universal common ancestor of life; we do, however, observe scattered instances throughout subsequent evolutionary history, mostly in the formation of the eukaryote superkingdom. Coiled coils do not change their oligomeric state over evolution and did not evolve from the rearrangement of existing helices in proteins; coiled coils were forged in unison with the fold of the whole protein.     

Laboratory and realized host ranges of Chaetorellia succinea (Diptera: Tephritidae), an unintentionally introduced natural enemy of yellow starthistle

In 1999, we reported our discovery, in California and Oregon, of Chaetorellia succinea (Costa) (Diptera: Tephritidae) destroying the seeds of yellow starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis L., one of the worst weeds in the western United States. This fly, an unintentional introduction from Greece, dispersed rapidly throughout California and the northwest, and there is interest in using this adventive fly as a classical biological control agent for this weed. Because the host range of Ch. succinea has not been studied, this fly might pose a risk to other members of the thistle tribe Cardueae, especially the many thistle species native to California and other parts of the western United States. We determined the physiological host range of this fly in the laboratory by exposing it under no-choice conditions to 14 potential Cardueae hosts. Two introduced weed species and the native American basketflower (Centaurea americana Nuttall) were laboratory hosts. Under less restrictive choice test conditions, yellow starthistle was highly preferred, but there was a small amount of oviposition, and a few adult Ch. succinea emerged from all three of these plant species. Because Ch. succinea is now widespread throughout California, we collected flower heads from 24 potential host plant species at 111 sites to determine the realized host range in the field. These collections did not include American basketflower, which does not occur naturally in California. Ch. succinea emerged only from the other two known hosts: Ce. melitensis and Ce. sulfurea. Our results suggest that American basketflower growing in the southwestern United States may be at risk if Ch. succinea expands its range into that region.     

The effects of habitat and competitive/facilitative interactions on reintroduction success of the endangered wetland herb,Arenaria paludicola

Establishing new populations is essential for preventing the extinction of critically endangered plant species. However, defining the range of environmental conditions suitable for the most severely endangered species is challenging, since few wild populations remain for study. Experimental reintroductions of these species can achieve multiple conservation goals by improving our understanding of habitat and management requirements while simultaneously establishing new populations. We demonstrate this with Arenaria paludicola, a critically endangered wetland plant species now known from a single wild population in coastal California. Before transplanting, we tested salinity tolerance in the greenhouse, and found tolerance of a broader range of soils than expected based on the current distribution. We then transplanted A. paludicola in three different habitat types, with and without neighbor removal. Success of A. paludicola transplants differed dramatically between the three habitat types, indicating the importance of variation at the habitat and microhabitat level. The best practices for transplant management are context-dependent: neighbor removal may promote the growth of A. paludicola, but neighbors may also facilitate transplant establishment in unstable substrates. After one year, A. paludicola continued to thrive in habitats dominated by Oenanthe sarmentosa with open canopies and moist soil. This habitat differs from that of the remaining wild population. Our discovery of an additional habitat type suitable for A. paludicola will allow more effective selection of future transplant sites.     

Genetic variation in Native Americans, inferred from Latino SNP and resequencing data

Analyses of genetic polymorphism data have the potential to be highly informative about the demographic history of Native American populations, but due to a combination of historical and political factors, there are essentially no autosomal sequence polymorphism data from any Native American group. However, there are many resequencing studies involving Latinos, whose genomes contain segments inherited from their Native American ancestors. In this study, we introduce a new method for estimating local ancestry across the genomes of admixed individuals and show how this method, along with dense genotyping and targeted resequencing, can be used to assay genetic variation in ancestral Native American groups. We analyze roughly 6 Mb of resequencing data from 22 Mexican Americans to provide the first large-scale view of sequence level variation in Native Americans. We observe low levels of diversity and high levels of linkage disequilibrium in the Native American-derived sequences, consistent with a recent severe population bottleneck associated with the initial peopling of the Americas. Using two different computational approaches, one novel, we estimate that this bottleneck occurred roughly 12.5 Kya; when uncertainty in the estimation process is taken into account, our results are consistent with archeological estimates for the colonization of the Americas.     

Resistance to Centaurea solstitialis invasion from annual and perennial grasses in California and Argentina

A common explanation for Centaurea solstitialis invasion in California is that it occupies an ??empty niche?? created by the replacement of native perennial grasses by exotic annual grasses and concomitant increases in soil water availability. This hypothesis, however, cannot explain C. solstitialis invasion into perennial-dominated grasslands of central Argentina. We assessed invasibility of annual versus perennial grass communities in these regions through parallel field experiments where we created grass plots and, after one year of establishment, measured effects on water and light, and added C. solstitialis seeds in two successive trials. Additionally, we removed vegetation around naturally occurring C. solstitialis in both regions, and examined the performance of Californian and Argentinean C. solstitialis individuals when growing under common conditions simulating climate in California and Argentina. In California, both grass types offered high resistance to C. solstitialis invasion, water was generally greater under perennials than annuals, and light was similarly low beneath both types. In Argentina, invasibility was generally greater in annual than perennial plots, water was similar between groups, and light was much greater beneath annuals. Removal experiments showed that competition from annual grasses in California and perennial grasses in Argentina greatly reduce C. solstitialis performance. Additionally, Californian and Argentinean individuals did not exhibit genetic differentiation in studied traits. Our results suggest that dominant plant functional groups in both California and Argentina offer substantial resistance to C. solstitialis invasion. The success of this species might be tightly linked to a remarkable ability to take advantage of disturbance in both regions.     

Velvetleaf,Abutilon theophrasti (malvaceae), history and economic impact in the United States

Velvetleaf,Abutilon theophrasti, a native of China, was originally introduced into the New World before 1750 as a potential fiber crop for the American colonies. Initial introductions may have come from England because of similar interests in the development of fiber crops. Commercial fiber production from velvetleaf was attempted by U.S. farmers for more than a century. The latest known attempts were made in the latter part of the 19th century in Illinois and New York. Velvetleaf never competed well with hemp, at least partly due to a lack of proper machinery for fiber processing. These early experimental plantings were apparently the source of velvetleaf as a weed in row crops. One velvetleaf plant is capable of producing as many as 8,000 seeds, and viability may extend beyond 50 yr. The plant is well adapted to our upper Midwest where maize (Zea mays) and soybeans (Glycine max) are the major row crops. The reservoir of velvetleaf seed in the soil is increasing. The current annual economic loss due to velvetleaf in maize and soybeans is estimated to be approximately $343 million per year.     

Social Identity and Culture Change on the Southern Northwest Coast

Driven by the participation of Native American people in the contemporary political, cultural, and academic landscape of North America, public and academic discussions have considered the nature of contemporary American Indian identity and the persistence, survival, and (to some) reinvention of Native American cultures and traditions. I use a case study—the historical anthropology of the Native American people of the Oregon coast—to examine the persistence of many American Indian people through the colonial period and the subsequent revitalization of "traditional" cultural practices. Drawing on archaeological data, ethnohistorical accounts, and oral traditions, I offer a reading of how, set against and through an ancestral landscape, traditional social identities and relationships of gender and authority were constructed and contested. I then consider how American Indian people negotiated the new sets of social relationships dictated by the dominant society.     

Admixture in Mexico City: implications for admixture mapping of Type 2 diabetes genetic risk factors

Admixture mapping is a recently developed method for identifying genetic risk factors involved in complex traits or diseases showing prevalence differences between major continental groups. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is at least twice as prevalent in Native American populations as in populations of European ancestry, so admixture mapping is well suited to study the genetic basis of this complex disease. We have characterized the admixture proportions in a sample of 286 unrelated T2D patients and 275 controls from Mexico City and we discuss the implications of the results for admixture mapping studies. Admixture proportions were estimated using 69 autosomal ancestry-informative markers (AIMs). Maternal and paternal contributions were estimated from geographically informative mtDNA and Y-specific polymorphisms. The average proportions of Native American, European and, West African admixture were estimated as 65, 30, and 5%, respectively. The contributions of Native American ancestors to maternal and paternal lineages were estimated as 90 and 40%, respectively. In a logistic model with higher educational status as dependent variable, the odds ratio for higher educational status associated with an increase from 0 to 1 in European admixture proportions was 9.4 (95%, credible interval 3.8–22.6). This association of socioeconomic status with individual admixture proportion shows that genetic stratification in this population is paralleled, and possibly maintained, by socioeconomic stratification. The effective number of generations back to unadmixed ancestors was 6.7 (95% CI 5.7–8.0), from which we can estimate that genome-wide admixture mapping will require typing about 1,400 evenly distributed AIMs to localize genes underlying disease risk between populations of European and Native American ancestry. Sample sizes of about 2,000 cases will be required to detect any locus that contributes an ancestry risk ratio of at least 1.5.     

Evolutionary ecology along invasion fronts of the annual grass Aegilops triuncialis

Over the last two decades, Aegilops triuncialis (barbed goatgrass) has rapidly spread into many annual grassland and serpentine soil sites within California, USA. The capacity of this species to invade edaphically stressful serpentine soil is especially unusual. It is unclear whether genetic differentiation, phenotypic plasticity, or both have allowed A. triuncialis to invade competitive (i.e. high productivity non-serpentine annual grassland) and edaphically stressful (i.e. low productivity serpentine) environments. We used a reciprocal transplant field experiment to examine the effects of plasticity and genetic variation on A. triuncialis phenology and demography along invasion fronts associated with interspecific competition and edaphic gradients. We reciprocally transplanted seeds collected behind invasion fronts (core subpopulations) and along invasion fronts (edge subpopulations). For both gradient types we measured higher reproduction and population growth at invasion front edges. This was true for both edge and core subpopulation seed sources, suggesting that phenotypic plasticity may facilitate invasive spread. Consistent planting site effects indicated that phenotypic plasticity is a primary contributor to A. triuncialis demographic responses along interspecific competition gradients. In contrast, significant seed source effects suggest genetic differentiation along invasion fronts in serpentine edaphic gradients. Although persistent maternal environmental effects cannot be ruled out entirely, seed source effects suggest genetic differences between serpentine subpopulations located behind and beyond the invasion fronts for plant survival, plant size, total seed production, and individual seed size. Rapid expansion of A. triuncialis in California may reflect an evolutionary capacity in this species for both phenotypic plasticity and genetic differentiation.