Digital Commons Network^™

Tourism In Lugu Hu: Helpful Or Harmful? Examining The Impact Of Tourism On Lugu Lake’S People And Environment, Joana Chan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Is tourism a boon or burden to the land and the people that it impacts? This question has plagued academics for ages. On the one hand, tourism brings not only definite economic growth for the local people, but also motivation for preservation of the local landscape. On the other hand, the arrival of tourists also ironically brings definite cultural and environmental transformations to the very people and land that visitors travel so far to see and experience.

My research examines the complexities of tourism and its impact on the environment and people of Lugu Lake, Yunnan. By surveying social and …

Desarrollo Turístico Y Sustentabilidad: Caso Villa Pehuenia Y La Comunidad Mapuche Puel, Sasha Shahidi

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

With limited resources and overpopulation on a global level, sustainable development is the only way that human beings will be able to survive on this earth. The problem is that the dominant model of development stresses the importance of economic profits in the short term and far too often exploits natural resources and less powerful cultural groups. This creates dangerous long-term affects as natural resources and indigenous cultures that depend on them continue to disappear with no plan, or possibility, to replace them. Sustainability seeks the least negative impacts possible on the natural environment and indigenous cultures in order to …

The Price Of Gold: The Environmental Impacts Of Toxic Chemicals In Gold Mining, Adam Goetz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The role of mercury and cyanide in gold mining has become a hot topic in Mongolia in the past few years. In the past few months, the government has launched a crackdown on the illegal use of these chemicals in response to the contamination of Khongor soum’s drinking water which resulted from an illegal mining operation. However, there are many more sites throughout the country that are in need of cleaning as a result of the illegal use of these chemicals by small companies as well as individual miners.

This paper examines the role of a variety of different views …

Ontogenetic Changes In Feeding Ecology And Habitat Of The Damselfish Neoglyphidodon Melas At Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Sai-Wing Chan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines ontogenetic shift in habitat and feeding ecology of the black damselfish, Neoglyphidodon melas in three patch reef sites at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. This rarely studied species is unique in its coprophagous relationship with the faeces of the giant clam Tridacna gigas. Distribution and habitat composition between three sites and two reef zones was estimated with 48 Visual Belt and Point Intercept Transects. 80 Focal Animal Studies revealed specific foraging strategies and aggressive behaviours. The timing of this study permitted the inclusion of juvenile recruits resulting in a more complete and comprehensive study across developmental stages. …

Accounting For Ecosystem Flows: Setting A Standard For Australian Industries To Make Sustainable Decisions, Emily Gilbert

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explains the System of Environmental and Economic Accounting’s (SEEA) approach to environmental accounting flow systems and how this system is now being utilized in the creation of new Australian standards of accounting. The first part of the paper discusses in depth different accounting systems, primarily physical and hybrid accounting systems, as they relate to the measures set forth by the SEEA. The second part analyzes the differences between the SEEA’s gross accounting system in comparison to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) net accounting system. This includes a type of “pro-con” way of looking at which is …

Why Logging? A Value Assessment Of Forestry Uses In The Huon Forest District, Ryan Bailey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Huon Forest District comprises 762,800 hectares of forests in southwest Tasmania, with 128,900 hectares of that total designated as state forest managed by Forestry Tasmania. These forests are used primarily for wood production, although tourism, carbon storage, leatherwood honey and the specialty timbers industry are competing for access to these forests. This study examines the socio-economic values of these uses and determines whether the Huon Forest District is being utilized efficiently.

To accomplish this, an extensive literature review of past research was conducted. This information supplemented 7 semi-structured interviews that were conducted with experts from the forestry industry, tourism …

Distribution Of Ultraviolet-Absorbing Sunscreen Compounds Across The Body Surface Of Two Species Of Scaridae, Elizabeth Cerny-Chipman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Ultraviolet radiation has far-reaching effects in marine ecosystems, but many marine organisms have UV-absorbing compounds that protect them from sun-induced damage. The mucus of coral reef fish has been found to contain mycosporine-like amino acids that absorb UV light from 309-360 nm. Using UV spectrophotometry, we examined whether fish are able to allocate these MAA sunscreen compounds to areas of the body that receive the most UV radiation. We compared absorbance spectra of mucus from the body surface of dorsal, ventral, caudal and head areas in two species of Scaridae (Scarus schlegeli and Chlorurus sordidus) from Coral Bay, Western Australia. …

Watered Down: The Intersection And Integration Of Tourism Development And Water Resource Management In Marrakech, Morocco, Alison Maassen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Implementing Uganda’S National Wetlands Policy: A Case Study Of Kabale District, Sophie Glass

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Uganda’s “National Policy for the Conservation and Management of Wetland Resources” was launched in 1995 to promote the protection of Uganda’s wetlands in order to sustain their ecological and socioeconomic functions. Despite the formal policy, wetlands continue to be drained and converted. This report examines factors that account for the divide between the National Wetlands Policy and reality. Six weeks were spent researching the challenges associated with implementing the National Wetlands Policy. Kabale District was used as a case-study to better understand the issues that institutions and stakeholders face when trying to abide by the precepts of the policy. Rapid …

To Live With The Sea: Community-Based Management Of Marine Resources In Southwest Madagascar, Hannah Pitt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

“God intended us to fish, and we will fish until the end,” the elderly Vezo fisherman explained, shrugging his shoulders as if in resignation to an unavoidable truth (Niry). For a people whose history, culture, and economy have revolved around the sea for generations, the idea of preservation is just not palatable, he seemed to be saying. The momentum of tradition, in other words, cannot be stopped. Yet in 23 Vezo fishing villages in the region of Andavadoaka, along the southwest coast of Madagascar, communities have collectively established seasonal and permanent restrictions on critical fishing grounds that together make up …

China Environmental Study, Monty Mcgee

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

"Recently released figures showing crude oil imports soaring by nearly 40% in the first five months of the year as China needs more oil to fuel its explosive economic growth..." says one article from the BBC. According to the internationally renowned news agency "...stockpile coal has plunged to lowest levels in 20 years...” China is not alone in its battle with depleting natural resources. The entire international community has placed alternative energy research as a primary objective. Though the economic powerhouse has enjoyed an over 9% GDP growth rate for a better part of the last decade, environmental experts wonder …

La Musique Malgache : Moyen De Protection De L’Environnement, Geneviève Pearthree

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Madagascar, dont la diversité naturelle et culturelle sont sans pareilles dans tout le monde, représente un microcosme de la lutte mondiale de satisfaire les besoins humains et en même temps protéger les ressources naturelles desquelles tout le monde dépend pour survivre. Madagascar est une des régions les plus biodiversifiées du monde : plus de 80% des espèces des flores et 90% des faunes qui se trouvent dans l’île sont endémiques à Madagascar. Partout à Madagascar, cependant, la balance fragile entre la capacité de l’environnement à fournir les humains à leurs besoins et durer pour la prochaine génération a commencé à …

How Do Women In Prek Toal Village (Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve, Cambodia) Participate In And Benefit From Ecotourism?, Amy Dowley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Abstract This study assesses how women in the floating village of Prek Toal in the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve, participate and benefit from the ecotourism activities in their area. The study also investigates women’s perspective on ecotourism within their community, how it affects their lives, and if they have expectations of current and future benefits or changes resulting from ecotourism. This study is conducted in the context of current studies on livelihoods in the Tonle Sap region, including the recent technical report, “Influence of Built Structures on Local Livelihoods: Case Studies of Road Development, Irrigation, and Fishing Lots,”(ADB, 2007a) identifying …

Predicting The Impacts Of Serra Leste: A Case Study In Companhia Vale Do Rio Doce’S Influence On Southern Pará, Jason Hayes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project analyzes the possible environmental and socioeconomic impacts of Serra Leste, a newly proposed iron mine by the Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD). However, Serra Leste is also part of a much larger system of CVRD projects which has recently had a profound influence on the micro-region surrounding Curionópolis, the future cite of the operation. Interviews, CVRD studies, and secondary sources were used and contrasted to evaluate the situation from several angles. Environmentally, Serra Leste will have profound impacts on the water, air, and soil. Specifically, the mine will probably have the largest influence on regional water tables, …

“Sustainable Soy” In Santarém: Power Struggles For The Future Of Development, Jake Schoneker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the environmental and socio-economic effects of soy development in the city of Santarém, located in the western part of Pará state in the Brazilian Amazon. In the past decade the soybean has emerged as one of Santarém’s primary crops, largely as a result of Cargill Corporation’s construction of a fluvial port in the city that now exports one million tons of soy per year to European markets. The arrival of soy agribusiness in Santarém has transformed the agricultural scene and has had drastic impacts on both local communities and the forest. Surrounding the soy conflict are various …

The Role Of Industrial And Traditional Fishing In Sustainable Resource Management, Aime Schwartz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For decades, the notion of ‘sustainable development’ has been a source of international contention and debate. While the meanings and implications of sustainable development are widely disputed, it is interpreted by many as an ideal that encompasses social, environmental and economic spheres while promoting the value of human rights in development. Theoretically, this approach allows for the quality of life of current and future generations to be considered in environmental decision-making and formally recognized by national and international standards, dictated primarily by wealthy industrialized governments (Adebowale et al 138). Policy-makers in developing nations continuously face the struggle to balance the …

Potentiality Of Biogas And The Role Of Substrates In Biogas Formation Potential, Scott Shealy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Biogas infrastructure development, particularly in countries such as Vietnam, has the potential to provide great benefits to people living agrarian lifestyles in rural areas. Decentralized wastewater treatment facilities that utilize anaerobic technologies to digest organic waste for the purpose of collecting methane provide a number of benefits to centralized use as well. In both cases, users benefit from the production of methane gas, wastewater treatment, nutrient recycling, and organic fertilizers. In the case of decentralized use, as is most prevalent in Vietnam, integrated farming methods, such as the VACB model, allow farmers to reap the benefits of a wide array …

Tertiary Education For Sustainability: Four Australian Universities’ Commitment To Sustainability, Meredith Wilensky

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

With increasing evidence of issues such as global climate change and environmental degradation, the need for sustainable development has become evident. While achieving sustainability will require many approaches, there is an immense body of literature, declarations and charters supporting education as key. Tertiary education is particularly important because universities are training our future leaders and professionals. For this reason, universities have a moral responsibility to prepare to work toward achieving a sustainable world. Unfortunately, integrating sustainability education is complex, requiring a paradigm shift toward collaboration, interdisciplinary education and an action-oriented approach.

This study analyzed the extent to and manner in …

Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management In South Australia And Victoria, Rebecca Devries

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The detrimental impact from fishing on various species as well as on the overall ecosystem has increased so much over the years that the Australian fishing industry is currently in jeapordy. Scientists, fishery managers, government agencies, industry, and environmental organizations have therefore been actively developing and researching management strategies focused on finding a balance between fisheries and the ecosystem. A new holistic and promising approach, ecosystem-based fishery management, invested in ecological sustainability and the recognition of the critical interdependence between human well-being and ecological health, is currently proposed as the best solution for fishery management.

This paper will consequently investigate …

Cuando Viene El Agua: Percepciones De Los Impactos Sociales Del Proyecto Hidroeléctrico “Chan-75” En Las Comunidades Ubicadas En La Cuenca Del Río Changuinola, Bocas Del Toro, Jeffery D. Stein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report analyzes the anticipated social impacts of a hydroelectric project, titled “Chan-75,” in the surrounding communities. The project is located in the Bosque Protector de Palo Seco (BPPS) protected area along the Changuinola River. The flooding of 750 ha to create a reservoir for the dam will require the resettlement of roughly 1,000 residents of at least four indigenous Ngöbe Buglé communities including Valle del Rey, Charco la Pava, Changuinola Arriba, and Guayabal, in addition to the submersion of thousands of ha of farmland belonging to residents of nearby communities (Cordero et al). Once completed, the dam will generate …

Fueling Samoa’S Growing Transport Sector: The Impact Of Rising Oil Prices And Imports On A Pacific Island Economy, Janis Mcdaid Ikeda

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The developed nations of the world are more concerned than ever with reducing their dependence on imported oil, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and developing alternative energy technologies. These issues are among the highest priorities for developing economies in the Pacific region as well. Samoa is a part of several regional initiatives that address petroleum and energy issues and is due to launch its own national energy policy in the coming months.

Petroleum prices in Samoa are low in comparison to other parts of the region because of the unique government/oil company partnership that administers its oil imports and pricing; however …