Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Roger Williams Park Edible Forest Garden, Mark S. Scialla

Senior Honors Projects

An edible forest garden is a low-maintenance system that uses edible native and regionally-adapted plants arranged in beneficial relationships to meet human, wildlife and ecosystem needs. The forest garden in Roger Williams Park will transform underutilized urban land into a highly productive parcel producing market-viable fruits, nuts, vegetables, medicine and fiber. Forest gardens mimic natural forest systems in architecture and complexity. The design follows ecological principles to create a system that promotes biodiversity and enhances the surrounding ecosystem. This project also demonstrates the potential to grow food and create land-based livelihoods in the city.

Located on the edge of a …

Sharing A Vision For Biodiversity Conservation And Agriculture, John E. Quinn

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Conservation biology and agriculture share a common landscape and a future that demands novel research and practice. Inevitably, limited resources create conflict in the absence of a shared vision forward. Therefore, given the similarities in proximate and even ultimate goals, we must envision a joint path toward renewable and resilient agroecosystems. In this commentary, I highlight the root of past conflicts and share a vision of progress forward that encompasses mutually beneficial outcomes. I include six areas of anticipatory research and inquiry at the intersection of conservation biology and agriculture to better identify shared goals and facilitate more frequent communication …

El Tratado De Libre Comercio Entre Centroamérica, República Dominicana Y Estados Unidos (Cafta-Dr) Y El Desarrollo Desigual, Mary Finley-Brook

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

This paper utilizes geographical and interdisciplinary approaches to analyze changes in human-environment interactions following the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). It documents spatially and socially uneven patterns of transnational, national and local production and exchange. Negative ecological and social repercussions concentrate among marginalized groups while benefits accrue to regional elite and foreign corporations. Findings from Costa Rica, the Dominican Repblic and Nicaragua build from 2009 and 2010 fieldwork involving interviews with state officials, industry representatives and civil society. Media coverage, governmental and nongovernmental reports, industry data and scholarly articles supplement field sources and demonstrate transitions in Guatemala, Honduras …

The Management Of Feral Pig Socio-Ecological Systems In Far North Queensland, Australia, Gabriela Shuster

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The development of management programs for socio-ecological systems that include multiple stakeholders is a complex process and requires careful evaluation and planning. This is particularly a challenge in the presence of intractable conflict. The feral pig (Sus scrofa) in Australia is part of one such socio-ecological system. There is a large and heterogeneous group of stakeholders interested in pig management. Pigs have diverse effects on wildlife and plant ecology, economic, health, and social sectors. This study used the feral pig management system as a vehicle to examine intractable conflict in socio-ecological systems. The purpose of the study was …