Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Survey Of Anthropogenic Vegetation Changes On Uzi And Vundwe Islands: A Study On Deforestation And Its Implications For People And Wildlife, Lindley Mease

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background. The environmental health of Uzi Island, south of Unguja, Zanzibar, has not been well characterized and its inhabitants do not have the resources for conservation education or community management to prevent deforestation, establish sustainable resource use and preserve unique wildlife. One potential method to improve environmental conservation and economic stability is through culturally sensitive and appropriately scaled ecotourism. Methods. Vegetation and wildlife surveys were conducted to evaluate the current condition of forests, regeneration in successional habitats, the presence of endemic and endangered wildlife species, and the impact of human activity on the forests of Central Uzi and Vundwe Island. …

Putting Trees Back In The Hands Of Malians: L’Association Malienne Pour La Conservation De La Faune Et De L’Environnement And The Balance Between Using And Protecting Local Forests, Cara Peterson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Products from trees provide the essential human necessities of food and shelter, as well as the means to cook and construct them with firewood and lumber. With the earth’s ever increasing population and growing industries, these needs have also risen, and forests worldwide are feeling the strain of deforestation and over usage for both commercial and household consumption. Deforestation in Africa is occurring at a smaller scale than on other continents, but this does not mean it is any less damaging to local ecosystems (Bessassen, 2009, p. 76). In fact, African forests are particularly stressed because approximately 90% of the …

L’Adoption De Bracharia Par Les Éleveurs Mahafaly : Un Étude Du Projet De Avsf Dans La Commune De Betioky, Michelle Fisher

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Le pays de Madagascar est surtout célèbre pour sa diversité biologique et sa pauvreté économique. Quatre-vingt-dix pourcent des espèces sauvages sont endémiques (Jolly, 2008) ; d’après le « Human Development Report » le plus courant, Madagascar compte 145ième parmi les 182 pays évalués (2009). Au même temps que la population humaine se multipliait rapidement et plusieurs populations des espèces menacés diminuaient, le cheptel national est reste environs 10 million bétail pendant les deux dernières décennies (World Bank, 2003 ; Rasambanarivo et al, 1994). En 2000, l’élevage extensif de ces animaux s’est atteint à 32 millions hectares, ou 55% de la …

Testing The Baobab’S Mettle: An Evaluation Of The Sustainability And Economic Potential Of Harvesting Adansonia Digitata, Benjamin Rhodes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In light of southern Africa’s growing population and economy, as well as the increasing international market for Adansonia digitata products, it seems important to ascertain whether or not rural baobab harvesting is having an impact on the health of the trees and whether it could be improved or expanded to increase benefits to communities. This study focused on 72 trees in and around the village of Gweta, Botswana, examining local usage and harvesting practices and exploring their correlations with the health of the trees. Results suggest that baobab harvesting in its current form is detrimental to the trees’ health and …

Investigating The Technical Feasibility Of Utilizing Aquifer Storage And Recovery To Supplement The Public Water Supplies In Evans Head And Ballina, Brandon Cohen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

At a time when the future of fresh water resources in Australia becomes more unpredictable as a result of global climate change, it will become necessary to look for new alternative sources of fresh water. Reclaimed wastewater is an important fresh water resource that will become increasingly important. One strategy to augment the public water supply is to inject and store reclaimed water underground, then to pump it out of the aquifer and treated to drinking water standards. This is known as Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) and similar schemes have been established in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, …

Creating A Category V: Conservation Perceptions And Cultural Changes In The Anjozorobe-Angavo Forest Corridor, Kate Wright

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Local communities have long played an integral role in the realization of conservation goals and the success of protected areas in Madagascar. Since the appearance of human civilizations approximately 2,000 years ago (Brown 1995), the physical landscape of the island has undergone processes of adaptation to the practices of Malagasy people, while Malagasy cultures have in turn molded to fit their surroundings. The coevolution of nature and culture has produced a delicate environmental situation where human practices exploit but also conserve important natural resources, a situation that has been historically misinterpreted as intentional environmental destruction on the part of local …

Guardians Of The Grassland: A Qualitative Assessment Of The Success Of Community-Based Wildlife Conservation In Mongolia’S Eastern Steppe, Alexandra Sprague

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Community-based conservation is a newer type of conservation that includes people in the ecosystem and attempts to simultaneously promote development and conservation. One organization in Mongolia that is facilitating the implementation of community-based conservation is the Wildlife Conservation Society. Their goal is:

My research questions concerning this NGO’s project are: what are the perceived benefits and problems with CBC? What makes it successful and how can it be improved? My location of study was the easternmost aimags of Mongolia, Dornod and Sukhbaatar. I spent 1 week travelling to 9 of the WCS’s 13 active herder communities asking their opinions about …

National Parks In China: A New Model For Nature Conservation, Katherine Fritz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

When the author of “China has First National Park” published in The Science News-Letter in 1948, he could not foresee the next 60 years of China’s struggle to develop an effective nature conservation system. If he had, he would have known that simply recognizing the value of precious land, as China did in 1948, does not automatically lead to a sophisticated, nation-wide national park system.

National parks are the hallmark of advanced civil society and complex government conservation schemes. Since the State Forestry Department declared China’s first officially protected space at Dinghu Shan Nature Reserve in Guangdong province in 1956 …

The Efficacy Of Climate Change Projects In Samoa: Evaluating Community-Based Adaptation Initiatives, Marisa Chock

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the efficacy of community-based climate change adaptation projects in Samoa, comparing evaluations conducted by agencies responsible for the projects to the opinions of the community involved. Specific projects with community-centered missions and methods are compared across different environmental agencies in Samoa, including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The research examines how closely the implementation of each project matches its initial goals, how the success of implementation and community involvement is measured by the agency and whether evaluative tools were used …

El Desarrollo Sostenible: Las Aplicaciones De Un Sendero Ecológico Y Una Farmacia Verde Al Progreso Ambiental De Pucará, Ecuador, Matthew Woods

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

San Antonio de Pucará is located in the INTAG river valley in the western cordillera of the Andes in the northern part of Ecuador. A recent project has been undertaken to develop an Eco-Pueblo that provides resources, jobs, and a sustainable lifestyle to the community. In attempt to continue the development of the Eco-Pueblo and the sustainable development of Pucará, I created an ecological trail on Peter Shear’s farm, located to the north of Pucará, and a medicinal garden. The ecological trail will be used as an educational field-trip for both locals and visitors to educate them about the various …