Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station

As Massachusetts faces increasing pressure from population expansion, along with increasing challenges due to climate change, we seek a solution to the growing demand in housing that supports the local timber industry and rural economies and also creates an opportunity to store more carbon both in our buildings and across our regional forested landscape. Recent advances in timber technology have produced promising new methods for meeting some of the demand for building materials, as well as the need to store carbon.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the resiliency and plan for future changes for New England fisheries and aquaculture ina rapidly changing ocean. Through field data collection, laboratory experiments, and stakeholder engagement, we will examinehow climate change will influence key fisheries and aquaculture species using a multi-pronged approach. First, we will examinehow climate will affect critical life history stages of key fisheries species by examining larval supply in New England waters andthe potential for a match-mismatch between larvae and their food sources.

The proposed research has three main parts: 1. Assessment of the current situation in Springfield and similar mid-size cities - We will begin our research by gathering information about Springfield, its residents and the impact that climate change may have there or in similar cities. We will describe and identify the city's vulnerable populations: Where do they live, and what challenges do they face related to climate change? What data is needed to understand how these challenges might be addressed and how can that data be obtained?

The concept of the current experiment is to study carbon storage and possible cycling in soils which alternate between saturation and nonsaturated conditions on an annual basis. To allow the data to be considered robust, or applicable to numerous locations and soil types it will be necessary to have multiple years of data, but to also have data that 'repeats' or replicates itself.

Soil organic matter acts like a sponge within the soil, retaining water, carbon, and nutrients. It also serves as a source of carbon, or food, and nutrients, like nitrogen, for soil microbes. Because soil microbes demand carbon and nutrients in specific ratios, the quantity of soil organic matter and how nutrient rich it is compared to carbon may determine: how much nitrogen is kept within microbial bodies, how much is held within soil organic matter, and how much is transformed by microbes into a plant-available form for uptake or leaching loss.

We are testing how plant viral infection impacts the effect of cover crops on soil carbon, greenhouse gas emissions, and soilnutrient status. We expect that the virus impact will vary with cover crop species and soil type. Our results are expected toinform how virus infections of cover crops may impact soil health. To quantify changes in soil carbon, greenhouse gas emissions, and nutrient status of soils subjected to virus infected covercrops, we are using a combination of field trials and pot experiments as well as basic and advanced soil characterizationtechniques.

In this project, we will work with other participating regional research project investigators to assess aging adults' perceptions and recommendations for community environmental supports for a food secure, culturally appropriate and healthy eating environment. The purpose of these studies is to identify the most important and modifiable enablers and behaviors of healthy eating among aging adults. To accomplish this, mixed methodology approaches will be used, including both qualitative and quantitative methods such as focus groups and consumer surveys.

We will be exploring the utility of small bio-reactive molecules for use in controlling viruses and protozoan pathogens without harming bees.