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2018

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Articles 1651 - 1680 of 1820

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Spatial And Temporal Variability Of The Snow Environment In The Western Canadian Arctic, Philip Mann Jan 2018

Spatial And Temporal Variability Of The Snow Environment In The Western Canadian Arctic, Philip Mann

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Snow cover in the Western Canadian Arctic is a significant input to the hydrological mass balance, it produces shelter and habitat for animals and humans, and supports interactions with vegetation and climate. The Arctic-tundra snow cover is greatly impacted by wind erosion, redistribution and deposition of snow during high wind events over the winter months. As a result, the end of winter snow cover is characterised by significant small-scale (on the order of a few meters) spatial variations in snow cover depth, density, and thus snow water equivalent (SWE), and runoff. Future climate related changes to snow cover depth and …

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Permafrost Thaw-Induced Forest To Wetland Conversion: Potential Impacts On Snowmelt And Basin Runoff In Northwestern Canada, Emily Haughton Jan 2018

Permafrost Thaw-Induced Forest To Wetland Conversion: Potential Impacts On Snowmelt And Basin Runoff In Northwestern Canada, Emily Haughton

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In the discontinuous permafrost zone of northwestern Canada, snow covers the ground surface for over half the year, thus snowmelt constitutes a primary source of ecosystem moisture supply and strongly influences stream hydrographs. The peat landscapes along the southern limit of discontinuous permafrost are dominated by forested permafrost plateaus (“forest”), and treeless, permafrost-free wetlands (“wetland”). Permafrost-thaw induced transformation of this landscape has changed water flow and storage processes and therefore introduced new uncertainties on the region’s water futures. Here, I a) characterize forest and wetland water storage and flow from snowmelt, and b) evaluate how permafrost thaw-induced wetland expansion at …

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Capitals, Climate Change And Food Security: Building Sustainable Food Systems In Northern Canadian Indigenous Communities, Andrew Spring Jan 2018

Capitals, Climate Change And Food Security: Building Sustainable Food Systems In Northern Canadian Indigenous Communities, Andrew Spring

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

For many Indigenous communities in Canada’s northern boreal forest, the impacts of climate change are directly affecting their ability to access the land they rely on for traditional foods to support their food systems and livelihoods. However, climate change is merely one stressor for communities that have undergone dramatic social, cultural and political changes during the past decades. This research examines case studies in the communities of Délı̨nę and Kakisa, Northwest Territories (NWT), and identifies community-based solutions to build more sustainable food systems with a focus on food security and climate change. Using participatory action research methods to ensure the …

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Spatial Modelling And Wildlife Health Surveillance: A Case Study Of White Nose Syndrome In Ontario, Lauren Yee Jan 2018

Spatial Modelling And Wildlife Health Surveillance: A Case Study Of White Nose Syndrome In Ontario, Lauren Yee

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Wildlife data is often limited by survey effort, small sample sizes, and spatial biases associated with collection and missing data. These factors can create unique challenges from a surveillance perspective when trying to extract spatial patterns of habitat suitability and disease distributions for conservation and management purposes. This thesis examined data quality from a wildlife health database in the context of spatial analysis of wildlife disease. Spatial analysis of the data to predict habitat suitability of bats and white nose syndrome afflicted bats was examined by using the MaxEnt modelling method. Methods to reduce spatial bias were examined and specific …

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The Effects Of Fire On Snow Accumulation, Snowmelt And Ground Thaw On A Peat Plateau In Subarctic Canada, Elyse Mathieu Jan 2018

The Effects Of Fire On Snow Accumulation, Snowmelt And Ground Thaw On A Peat Plateau In Subarctic Canada, Elyse Mathieu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

During the past century, the highest rates of warming have occurred at latitudes above 60oN, where air temperatures have risen at twice the rate of other regions. In northwestern Canada, this warming has coincided with an increase in the frequency, size and severity of wildfires. The influence of such fires on the trajectory of on-going permafrost thaw is not well understood. As a consequence, the combined impacts of climate warming induced permafrost thaw and possible feedbacks arising from wildfires cannot be properly assessed. This study examines the impact of a 2.7 ha low-severity wildfire (July 2014) on water …

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Improving Microbiological Safety And Quality Characteristics Of Wheat And Barley By High Voltage Atmospheric Cold Plasma Closed Processing, Agatha Los, Dana Ziuzina, Simen Akkermans, Daniela Boehm, Patrick J. Cullen, Jan Van Impe Jan 2018

Improving Microbiological Safety And Quality Characteristics Of Wheat And Barley By High Voltage Atmospheric Cold Plasma Closed Processing, Agatha Los, Dana Ziuzina, Simen Akkermans, Daniela Boehm, Patrick J. Cullen, Jan Van Impe

Articles

Contamination of cereal grains as a key global food resource with insects or microorganisms is a persistent concern for the grain industry due to irreversible damage to quality and safety characteristics and economic losses. Atmospheric cold plasma presents an alternative to conventional grain decontamination methods owing to the high antimicrobial potential of reactive species generated during the treatment, but effects against product specific microflora are required to understand how to optimally develop this approach for grains. This work investigated the influence of ACP processing parameters for both cereal grain decontamination and grain quality as important criteria for grain or seed …

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Hydra As A Model For Screening Ecotoxicological Effects Of Plasma-Treated Water, Dana Ziuzina, Chaitanya Sarangapani, Daniela Boehm, Paula Bourke Jan 2018

Hydra As A Model For Screening Ecotoxicological Effects Of Plasma-Treated Water, Dana Ziuzina, Chaitanya Sarangapani, Daniela Boehm, Paula Bourke

Articles

Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) has been widely researched to generate functionalized solutions for decontamination of liquids and wastewater treatment. The present investigation demonstrates that Hydra can be used as an additional in vivo tool to monitor the impact of plasma-processed solutions on the aquatic environment.

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Conspicuously Concealed: Revision Of The Arid Clade Of The Gehyra Variegata (Gekkonidae) Group In Western Australia Using An Integrative Molecular And Morphological Approach, With The Description Of Five Cryptic Species, Luke Kealley, Paul Doughty, Mitzy Pepper, J. Scott Keogh, Mia Hillyer, Joel Huey Jan 2018

Conspicuously Concealed: Revision Of The Arid Clade Of The Gehyra Variegata (Gekkonidae) Group In Western Australia Using An Integrative Molecular And Morphological Approach, With The Description Of Five Cryptic Species, Luke Kealley, Paul Doughty, Mitzy Pepper, J. Scott Keogh, Mia Hillyer, Joel Huey

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The methods used to detect and describe morphologically cryptic species have advanced in recent years, owing to the integrative nature of molecular and morphological techniques required to elucidate them. Here we integrate recent phylogenomic work that sequenced many genes but few individuals, with new data from mtDNA and morphology from hundreds of gecko specimens of the Gehyra variegata group from the Australian arid zone. To better understand morphological and geographical boundaries among cryptic forms, we generated new sequences from 656 Gehyra individuals, largely assigned to G. variegata group members over a wide area in Western Australia, with especially dense sampling …

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Emotions Predict Policy Support: Why It Matters How People Feel About Climate Change, Susie Wang, Zoe Leviston Jan 2018

Emotions Predict Policy Support: Why It Matters How People Feel About Climate Change, Susie Wang, Zoe Leviston

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Current research shows that emotions can motivate climate engagement and action, but precisely how has received scant attention. We propose that strong emotional responses to climate change result from perceiving one's “objects of care” as threatened by climate change, which motivates caring about climate change itself, and in turn predicts behaviour. In two studies, we find that climate scientists (N = 44) experience greater emotional intensity about climate change than do students (N = 94) and the general population (N = 205), and that patterns of emotional responses explain differences in support for climate change policy. Scientists tied their emotional …

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How Important Is Groundwater Availability And Stream Perenniality To Riparian And Floodplain Tree Growth?, Neil E. Pettit, Raymond H. Froend Jan 2018

How Important Is Groundwater Availability And Stream Perenniality To Riparian And Floodplain Tree Growth?, Neil E. Pettit, Raymond H. Froend

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Riparian vegetation is important for stream functioning and as a major landscape feature. For many riparian plants, shallow groundwater is an important source of water, particularly in areas where rainfall is low, either annually or seasonally, and when extended dry conditions prevail for all or part of the year. The nature of tree water relationships is highly complex. Therefore, we used multiple lines of evidence to determine the water sources used by the dominant tree species Eucalyptus camaldulensis (river red gum), growing in riparian and floodplain areas with varying depth to groundwater and stream perenniality. Dendrometer bands were used to …

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President Trump Tweets Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un On Nuclear Weapons: A Comparison With Climate Change, David E. Allen, Michael Mcaleer Jan 2018

President Trump Tweets Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un On Nuclear Weapons: A Comparison With Climate Change, David E. Allen, Michael Mcaleer

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A set of 125 tweets about North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un by President Trump from 2013 to 2018 are analysed by means of the data mining technique, sentiment analysis. The intention is to explore the contents and sentiments of the messages contained, the degree to which they differ, and their implications about President Trump's understanding and approach to international diplomacy. The results suggest a predominantly positive emotion in relation to tweets about North Korea, despite the use of questionable nicknames such as "Little Rocket Man". A comparison is made between the tweets on North Korea and climate change, madefrom …

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A Review Of Heat Stress Policies In The Context Of Climate Change And Its Impacts On Outdoor Workers: Evidence From Zimbabwe, Bigboy Ngwenya, Jacques Oosthuizen, Martyn Cross, Kwasi Frimpong, Cynthia N. Chaibva Jan 2018

A Review Of Heat Stress Policies In The Context Of Climate Change And Its Impacts On Outdoor Workers: Evidence From Zimbabwe, Bigboy Ngwenya, Jacques Oosthuizen, Martyn Cross, Kwasi Frimpong, Cynthia N. Chaibva

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Record-breaking summer heat events are increasing in frequency in Zimbabwe and 2016 was a particularly hot year with the country experiencing its worst heat wave event in decades. Currently, Zimbabwe has no coordinated public health response to deal with heat wave events and no specific data on heat-related morbidity and mortality. The country has no legislation for protecting workers against environmental heat exposure, particularly those most vulnerable who are employed in the informal sector. These workers are also at risk due to their outdoor work environments. The article outlines the state of climate and heat stresses in Zimbabwe, as benchmarked …

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Engaging Undergraduates In Comparative Psychology: A Case Study, Lauren Highfill, Deirdre Yeater Jan 2018

Engaging Undergraduates In Comparative Psychology: A Case Study, Lauren Highfill, Deirdre Yeater

Psychology Faculty Publications

With many comparative psychologists teaching at small colleges and universities where resources are limited, maintaining a traditional animal laboratory housing rats or pigeons is not realistic for many of these researchers. One way to overcome this lack of overhead costs and extensive lab space, is to forge collaborations with local zoos and aquariums. Zoo and aquarium research projects provide a way to examine a wide range of species, which is an important tenet within the field of comparative psychology. Furthermore, many undergraduates are innately attracted to the prospect of working with exotic animals. Here, we propose utilizing visitor behavior research …

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The Effect Of International Ngos On Influencing Domestic Policy And Law, Ashley Macarchuk Jan 2018

The Effect Of International Ngos On Influencing Domestic Policy And Law, Ashley Macarchuk

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis attempts to understand the impact of international human rights and environmental NGOs on affecting domestic policy and law. In particular, it looks at how State-NGO relations, civil society, and accountability affect the success of international NGOs in enacting change in domestic policy. The focus is on four countries with some of the largest human rights and environmental abuses: Argentina, China, India, and Russia. Through these countries, this thesis shows that NGOs have the most influence when State-NGO relations are strong, civil society is active, and NGOs are accountable to both the State and citizens. A key component to …

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Author Biographies Jan 2018

Author Biographies

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

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The Effect Of Partisanship On The Passage Of Environmental Legislation, Samantha Yoest Jan 2018

The Effect Of Partisanship On The Passage Of Environmental Legislation, Samantha Yoest

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper addresses the question of how partisanship plays a role in congressional productivity by looking at the number of environmental laws passed each year. This includes analysis of anti-environmental legislation and the connection to party. It was found that, on average, Democratic majorities produce more environmental laws than Republican majorities. Not only that, but polarization has the largest influence on environmental legislation. With an increase in polarization on environmental issues, more anti-environmental legislation is being voted on in Congress, and fewer environmental laws are being passed per year. Ultimately, the conditions producing the lowest number of roll-back environmental bills …

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Purifying The Sacred: How Hindu Nationalism Reshapes Environmentalism In Contemporary India, Owen Dunton Ellerkamp Jan 2018

Purifying The Sacred: How Hindu Nationalism Reshapes Environmentalism In Contemporary India, Owen Dunton Ellerkamp

Honors Papers

The transposition of the cultural, religious, and sacred onto physical geographies is practiced by humans everywhere as landscapes are canvases for meaning making and integral placeholders of histories. In the Indian context, this practice is distinct for several reasons. Scholars of Hindu traditions recognize that the place-oriented disposition and centrality of land to Hindu traditions and cultures is unprecedented and integral to identity formation in modern India. As India faces increasing environmental degradation, the preservation of “sacred geographies” is especially crucial to the identity of Hindu traditions. The rise of Hindu nationalist (Hindutva) political parties (e.g., the Bharatiya Janata Party …

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An Environmental And Cost Comparison Between Polypropylene Plastic Drinking Straws And A "Greener" Alternative: An Oberlin Case Study, Madeline Elyse Moran Jan 2018

An Environmental And Cost Comparison Between Polypropylene Plastic Drinking Straws And A "Greener" Alternative: An Oberlin Case Study, Madeline Elyse Moran

Honors Papers

Plastic straws are one of the most abundant items found in oceans and coastal cleanups around the United States and internationally. Plastic does not decompose over time, so all the plastic we have ever made is still around, affecting every ecosystem on the planet. Drinking straws are made of 100% recyclable material, but because of their small size most recycling plants are not able to process them so they are sent to landfills. Petroleum-based plastic production is also a large source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making up 1-3% of the United States’ carbon emissions alone. By considering green alternatives …

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Increasing Critical Thinking In Personal Decision Making- A Contextual Framework For College Students, Jade A. White Jan 2018

Increasing Critical Thinking In Personal Decision Making- A Contextual Framework For College Students, Jade A. White

Open Access Dissertations

Statement of the Problem: The need for agricultural science students to graduate from institutions of higher education with strong critical thinking skills is expressed by both educators and employers to respond to the need for strong problem-solving, decision making, and analytic skills in the 21st century. To prepare students for the changing workforce evidence-based instructional practices, such as problem-based learning, need to be implemented into college courses to increase critical thinking skills. However, there are many barriers associated with implementing these teaching practices such as time barriers, large classes, and the challenge of measuring outputs related to critical thinking. …

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2018-2019 Course Catalog, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of The Registrar Jan 2018

2018-2019 Course Catalog, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of The Registrar

University of Montana Course Catalogs, 1895-2024

An annual catalog of courses and course descriptions offered at the University of Montana.

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Why Does Drought Kill Trees? Interactions Between Water, Carbon, And Fungal Symbionts, Gerard Sapes De Moreta Jan 2018

Why Does Drought Kill Trees? Interactions Between Water, Carbon, And Fungal Symbionts, Gerard Sapes De Moreta

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

One of the global causes of forest die-off is climate-change induced drought. Drought kills trees by reducing water supply and non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) availability and by increasing susceptibility to negative biotic interactions. However, we lack an understanding of how water, NSC, and biotic agents interact. As a result, we still cannot accurately predict drought-induced mortality. The overarching goal of my dissertation is to increase our understanding of the interacting mechanisms leading to drought-induced mortality (DIM) and to identify physiological variables that accurately predict risk of DIM. Via greenhouse experiments with Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine) seedlings, I addressed three overarching research …

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A Decade Of Governing The Blackfoot Community Conservation Area (Bcca): Community Involvement And Landscape Connectivity Through Public Private Partnerships, Alexander A. Barton Jan 2018

A Decade Of Governing The Blackfoot Community Conservation Area (Bcca): Community Involvement And Landscape Connectivity Through Public Private Partnerships, Alexander A. Barton

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In recent decades, non-governmental organizations have acquired and established community forests and conservation areas in the U.S. However, there have been few empirical studies on their governance. This study focuses on the Blackfoot Community Conservation Area (BCCA) in the Blackfoot watershed of Montana, created in 2005. The BCCA is a 41,000 acre mosaic of private, state, and federal lands, including 5,600 acres known as the “Core” located near Ovando mountain and owned by the Blackfoot Challenge, a local watershed organization and leader in grassroots conservation. This research examined the definitions, activities and lessons learned over the past decade with regard …

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Role Of Nest Site Microclimate And Food Availability In Chick Development And Reproductive Success In Black-Legged Kittiwakes (Rissa Tridactyla), Lindsay Mae Lacey Jan 2018

Role Of Nest Site Microclimate And Food Availability In Chick Development And Reproductive Success In Black-Legged Kittiwakes (Rissa Tridactyla), Lindsay Mae Lacey

Honors Theses

Seabirds are marine top predators, and as such are often studied as bioindicators of climate shifts (Oswald and Arnold 2012). Though many studies have analyzed the effect of macroclimatic variation on marine prey species availability and thus seabirds, few have analyzed effects of microclimate - fine spatial patterns of climate (Mantua and Hare 2002; Hatch 2013; Kim and Monaghan 2005a). I tested the hypothesis that localized temperature and humidity at nest sites interact with food availability to alter black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) nest site quality, chick body condition during growth and development, and reproductive parameters including Julian lay …

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Moving Beyond The "Old Boys' Club" In Environmental Organizations: Investigating The Behaviors, Attitudes And Perspectives Of Men And Women, Kat Pardoe Jan 2018

Moving Beyond The "Old Boys' Club" In Environmental Organizations: Investigating The Behaviors, Attitudes And Perspectives Of Men And Women, Kat Pardoe

Honors Theses

This study interrogates the exclusionary culture of environmentalism with respect to gender, and in doing so, illuminates elements of function and dysfunction with respect to gender dynamics in environmental organizations. I utilize social science-based quantitative and qualitative methods as a foundation for my analysis. My research investigates the role of gender both at the micro level, with individuals, and the macro level, by evaluating the persistence of the “Old Boys’ Club” culture in environmental organizations. Thirteen people participated in interviews, and forty people responded to an online survey. Personal reflections gathered from the survey reveal gendered trends in environmental problem …

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Virunga: Guns, Gorillas, And The Construction Of Transnational Natures, Adriana Disilvestro Jan 2018

Virunga: Guns, Gorillas, And The Construction Of Transnational Natures, Adriana Disilvestro

Honors Theses

The recent western media attention surrounding Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has brought up significant scholarly questions about the discursive portrayal of “ideal” Natures. In this thesis, I undertake a discursive analysis of western media materials about Virunga National Park in order to understand how ideas of Nature are transnationally constructed. In order to do this, undertake an analysis of the western oriented discursive material associated with three socio-political processes within the park: green militarization, gorilla trekking, and the ecotourist industry. Ultimately, I conclude that the discursive material portrays a highly spectacularized and commodified “ideal” nature, …

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Climate And Crime: Examining The Relationship Between Extreme Weather Events And Crime Rates In The United States, Erin Tully Jan 2018

Climate And Crime: Examining The Relationship Between Extreme Weather Events And Crime Rates In The United States, Erin Tully

CMC Senior Theses

This study attempts to determine whether there is a relationship between extreme weather events and crime rates. Due to the increasing effects of climate change, it is critical we understand the societal effects of extreme weather. Here, a panel data fixed effects regression was used to analyze state and year level data. It was hypothesized that there would be a relationship between crime and extreme events, but the results did not show a statistically significant relationship. Further research with increased geographic and temporal controls is encouraged.

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Using Renewable Energy To Increase Tribal Sovereignty: A Feasibility Study For A Biomass Energy Plant On The Cocopah Reservation, Lauren Katrina D'Souza Jan 2018

Using Renewable Energy To Increase Tribal Sovereignty: A Feasibility Study For A Biomass Energy Plant On The Cocopah Reservation, Lauren Katrina D'Souza

CMC Senior Theses

Native American reservations in the United States are often located on mineral-rich lands, making them a target for fossil fuel development in already socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. As environmentally damaging as they are, coal and oil industries can bring invaluable jobs and money to isolated reservations, causing tribes to rely on fossil fuels for mere economic survival. In these instances of corporations or the federal government exploiting Native American labor and land, tribes lose the most fundamental principle of tribal governance: tribal sovereignty. Replacing fossil fuels and securing energy independence with a stable, renewable energy source is key to reclaiming that …

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Residential Solar In Washington State, Sam Pfeifer Jan 2018

Residential Solar In Washington State, Sam Pfeifer

All Master's Theses

Electricity generated through residential solar provides a low carbon source of electricity. However, diffusion of residential solar remains low across the United States. Growing this diffusion takes an understanding of localized uptake trends, which can focus policy and business efforts to help increase residential solar market penetration. This is the first research to investigate residential solar uptake in Washington State and to examine environmental education as a potential driver of residential solar uptake. Through a snapshot analysis which considers environmental, economic, education, and cultural variables the present research fills this gap. Triangulated results include mapping of variables, ordinary-least squares multiple …

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Analysis Of Land Use/Land Cover Change Impacts Upon Ecosystem Services In Montane Tropical Forest Of Rwanda: Forest Carbon Assessment And Redd+ Preparedness, Mcard Joseph Mlotha Jan 2018

Analysis Of Land Use/Land Cover Change Impacts Upon Ecosystem Services In Montane Tropical Forest Of Rwanda: Forest Carbon Assessment And Redd+ Preparedness, Mcard Joseph Mlotha

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Changes in forest cover especially changes within tropical forests, affect global climate change, together with ecosystems and forest carbon. Forests play a key role in both carbon emission and carbon sequestration. Efforts to reduce emissions through reduced deforestation and degradation of forests have become a common discussion among scientists and politicians under the auspices of the United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD Programme). This dissertation research assessed the impacts of land use land cover change upon ecosystem services from a protected area focusing on forest carbon distribution and vegetation mapping using remote sensing and …

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The Ecosystem Services And Biodiversity Of Novel Ecosystems: A Literature Review, Cody Evers, Chloe Wardropper, Benjamin Branoff, Elise F. Granek, Shana Hirsch, Timothy E. Link, Sofia Olivero-Lora, Codie Wilson Jan 2018

The Ecosystem Services And Biodiversity Of Novel Ecosystems: A Literature Review, Cody Evers, Chloe Wardropper, Benjamin Branoff, Elise F. Granek, Shana Hirsch, Timothy E. Link, Sofia Olivero-Lora, Codie Wilson

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Scientists, policy makers, and managers use ecosystem services and biodiversity metrics to inform management goals of novel ecosystems. Fragmented knowledge of the ecosystem services provided by novel ecosystems contributes to disagreement over these systems and how they should be managed. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review of refereed articles to understand how novel ecosystems have changed ecosystem services and biodiversity. Despite anthropogenic drivers of change, we found that the literature on novel ecosystems is focused on ecological rather than social aspects of novel systems. Our review highlights the frequency that novel ecosystems enhance both ecosystem services and …

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