No abstract

A Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium has been consistently isolated from grapevines with Pierce's disease. Grapevines inoculated with the bacterium developed Pierce's disease, and the bacterium was reisolated from the plants. The bacterium was serologically and ultrastructurallv indistinguishable from the one in naturally infected plants, and also indistinguishable from a bacterium isolated from almonds with almond leaf scorch disease.

Stream restoration projects have become increasingly common, and the need for systematic post-project evaluation, particularly for small-scale projects, is evident. This study describes how a 70-m restored reach of a small urban stream, Baxter Creek (in Poinsett Park, El Cerrito, California), was quickly and inexpensively evaluated using habitat, biological, and resident-attitude assessments. The restoration involved opening a previously culverted channel, planting riparian vegetation, and adding in-stream step-pool sequences and sinuosity. Replicated benthic macroinvertebrate samples from the restored site and an upstream unrestored site were compared using several metrics, including taxa richness and a biotic index. Both biological and habitat quality improved in the restored compared with the unrestored section. However, when compared with a creek restored 12 years before, habitat condition was of lower quality in the recently restored creek. A survey of the neighborhood residents indicated that, overall, they were pleased with the restored creek site. The approach used in this demonstration project may be applicable to other small-scale evaluations of urban stream restorations.

The hypothesis that cold climates are therapeutic for Pierce's disease was tested by overwintering diseased grapevines at Prosser, Washington, and at four sites at different altitudes in California. None of the surviving vines at Prosser, which had the coldest winter, developed symptoms after 6 mo in a greenhouse. At California sites, most of the diseased vines at Blodgett but few vines exposed to the moderate climate at Berkeley recovered from Pierce's disease. However, recovery rates at Blue Canyon and Coloma, which had lower minimum temperatures than those at Blodgett, were inconsistent with the hypothesis.

Step-pools sequences are increasingly used to restore stream channels. This increase corresponds to significant advances in theory for step-pools in recent years. The need for step-pools in stream restoration arises as urban development encroaches into steep terrain in response to population pressures, as stream channels in lower-gradient areas require stabilization due to hydrological alterations associated with land-use changes, and as step-pools are recognized for their potential to enhance stream habitats. Despite an increasingly voluminous literature and great demand for restoration using step-pool sequences, however, the link between theory and practice is limited. In this article, we present four unique cases of stream restoration using step-pools, including the evolution of the approaches, the project designs, and adjustments in the system following restoration. Baxter Creek in El Cerrito, California demonstrates an early application of artificial step-pools in which natural adjustments occurred toward geomorphic stability and ecological improvement. Restoration of East Alamo Creek in a large residential development near San Ramon, California illustrates an example of step-pools increasingly used in locations where such a channel form would not naturally occur. Construction of a step-pool channel in Karnowsky Creek within the Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon overcame constraints posed by access and the type and availability of materials; the placement of logs allowed natural scouring below steps. Dry Canyon Creek on the property of the Mountains Restoration Trust in Calabasas, California afforded a somewhat experimental approach to designing step-pools, allowing observation and learning in the future. These cases demonstrate how theories and relationships developed for step-pool sequences over the past two decades have been applied in real-world settings. The lessons from these examples enable us to develop considerations useful for deriving an appropriate course of design, approval, and construction of artificial step-pool systems. They also raise additional fundamental questions concerning appropriate strategies for restoration of step-pool streams. Outstanding challenges are highlighted as opportunities for continuing theoretical work.