Digital Commons Network^™

Situating Community Resilience Within The Political Landscape: An Investigation Of Rural Livelihoods And Agency In Chile's Bíobío And Araucanía Regions, Julia Ercolani

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Since the establishment of Pinochet’s dictatorship and its neoliberal experiment in 1973, Chile has experienced unprecedented growth in an increasingly resource-extractive economy, often through the expropriation and exploitation of the traditional territories of peasant farmers and the Indigenous Mapuche people. Through a lens of resilience, this study explores how the political and economic landscape of the country shapes rural livelihoods in six communities across two regions, as well as its implications for resilience at the community level. At the same time, it seeks to uncover how rural peoples actively respond to these threats and foster resilience within their households and …

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 …

Landscape Scale Spectral-Temporal Modelling Of Bamboo-Dominated Forest Succession Within The Atlantic Forest Of Southern Brazil, Clara Greig

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Tropical and subtropical ecosystems have become vulnerable to biological invasion (i.e., bamboo) due to human induced forest fragmentation. Bamboo ecological processes have been found to impede forest development, resulting in a state of arrested succession, which has been found to significantly reduce biodiversity, thus contributing to biotic homogenization. In this study we use a semi-empirical approach to develop a community-level spatially explicit ecological process model (hybrid model) using a time-series of Landsat imagery to describe single-landscape scale ecological processes of a pervasive bamboo species (Merostachys skvortzovii) found throughout the Araucaria forest, a critically threatened subtype of Atlantic forest …

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 …

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 60^oN, 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 …

“Inconvenient Neighbours, Whom It Was Desirable Ultimately Wholly To Remove”: Differing Factors In The Dispossessions Of Studied Anishinaabe Groups Of The Great Lakes Basin, 1820-1865, Heather J. Sanguins

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Despite being located within a relatively close geographic area, the Anishinaabeg of the eastern Great Lakes basin had different experiences of, and responses to, attempted and actual dispossession between 1820 and 1865. This research explores these experiences and the exercise of colonial power through the dispossession of six groups: the Lake Erie Anishinaabeg, the Walpole Anishinaabeg, the “American” Anishinaabeg who migrated into Upper Canada and Canada West, the Chippewa of Lakes Huron, Couchiching, and Simcoe, the Potaganasee Ojibwa of Drummond Island, and the Manitoulin Anishinaabeg. While eight themes weave their way through the cases, every case of attempted or actual …

Arriving Somewhere, Not Here: Exploring And Mapping The Relationship Between Border Enforcement And Migration By Boat In The Central Mediterranean Sea, 2006 To 2015, Kira Williams

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The European Union (EU) implemented a maritime interdiction network using search and rescue which interdicted at least 462,813 “illegal migrants” in the Central Mediterranean Sea between 2006 and 2015. This involved 15 discrete, militarised and semi-secret maritime interdiction operations (MIOs) at a minimum cost of 126.9 million 2014 Euros. In this dissertation, I will explore and map these operations and their geographies between 2006 and 2015.

First, and based on the given existence of the European Patrols Network, I examine how this network came into being in the first place. This serves to show that the EU purposely created regular …

Defining Effective Teaching In Environmental Education: A Georgia 4-H Case Study, Lillian G. Meighan, Nicholas E. Fuhrman

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

Many studies have examined the positive learning outcomes of environmental education (EE), yet few have questioned the means for achieving such outcomes through non-formal teaching methods. Six interviews and four observations were conducted with 4-H environmental educators in Georgia. Study participants defined effective instruction in Georgia 4-H EE as novel and student-centered, where the educator utilizes their own distinct teaching styles, management of the learning environment, and extra resources while capitalizing on teachable moments. Educators worked to create both personal and environmental connections to inspire students to pursue science and environmental careers. EE trainings should prepare educators with either natural …

Biotime: A Database Of Biodiversity Time Series For The Anthropocene, Maria Dornelas, Laura H. Antão, Faye Moyes, Amanda E. Bates, Anne E. Magurran, Sarah R. Supp

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Analyzing Stakeholders’ Workshop Dialogue For Evidence Of Social Learning, Amanda L. Bentley Brymer, J. D. Wulfhorst, Mark W. Brunson

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

After much debate and synthesis, social learning scholarship is entering an era of empirical research. Given the range across individual-, network-, and systems-level perspectives and scales, clear documentation of social learning processes is critical for making claims about social learning outcomes and their impacts. Past studies have relied on participant recall and concept maps to document perceptions of social learning process and outcome. Using an individual-centric perspective and importing ideas from communication and psychology on question-answer learning through conversational agents, we contribute an expanded conceptual framework and qualitative analytical strategy for assessing stakeholder dialogue for evidence of social learning. We …

The Implications Of Group Norms For Adaptation In Collectively Managed Agricultural Systems: Evidence From Sri Lankan Paddy Farmers, Arielle Tozier De La Poterie, Emily Burchfield, Amanda R. Carrico

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

A growing literature seeks to explore the factors shaping adaptation to climate change. In collectively managed common pool resource systems, there is often a tension between behavior that benefits the individual and actions that benefit a larger group. Resource users in sustainable systems must therefore work together to ensure outcomes that are beneficial to the group as a whole. However, in the face of changing social, political, and environmental conditions, community norms may change, leading to the emerging of new behavioral patterns. Understanding when and why people decide to act in ways that benefit the group as a whole can …

Catalog Denison University 2018-2019

Denison University Catalogs

Denison University Courses 2018-2019

Assessing The Relative Influences Of Abiotic And Biotic Factors On A Species’ Distribution Using Pseudo-Absence And Functional Trait Data: A Case Study With The American Eel (Anguilla Rostrata), Taylor E. Woods

Theses and Dissertations

Species’ distributions are influenced by abiotic and biotic factors but direct comparison of their relative importance is difficult, particularly when working with complex, multi-species datasets. Here, we present a flexible method to compare abiotic and biotic influences at common scales. First, data representing abiotic and biotic factors are collected using a combination of geographic information system, remotely sensed, and species’ functional trait data. Next, the relative influences of each predictor variable on the occurrence of a focal species are compared. Specifically, ‘sample’ data from sites of known occurrence are compared with ‘background’ data (i.e. pseudo-absence data collected at sites where …

Fact Sheet, Yale University Office Of Institutional Research

Fact Sheets

No abstract provided.

Part 6: Hampton City School: The Next Generation Of Learning In Hampton Roads, Dragas Center For Economic Analysis And Policy

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads needs skilled workers. With unemployment approaching historical lows and the demand for a skilled workforce increasing, Hampton City Schools is engaging in an experiment to transform high school education. We delve into this effort and its potential benefit for our region.

University Of Texas At Tyler Course Catalog, 2018 - 2019, University Of Texas At Tyler

Catalogs

No abstract provided.

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 …

Natural Resource Access Rights And Wrongs: Nontimber Forest Products Gathering In Urban Environments, Susan Charnley, Rebecca J. Mclain, Melissa R. Poe

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

This article uses research about non-timber forest products (NTFP) gathering in Seattle, Washington, USA to examine how people gain access to natural resources in urban environments. Our analysis focuses on gathering in three spaces: parks, yards, and public rights of way. We present a framework for conceptualizing access, and highlight cognitive mechanisms of access associated with foragers’ internal moral judgments about harvesting. Key findings are: (1) internal moral calculations about whether it is right or wrong to harvest a particular NTFP in a particular place are an important but previously unacknowledged mechanism governing resource access; and (2) these calculations may …

Gvsu Undergraduate And Graduate Catalog, 2018-2019, Grand Valley State University

Course Catalogs, 1963 - Current

Grand Valley State University 2018-2019 undergraduate and/or graduate course catalog published annually to provide students with information and guidance for enrollment.

Open Innovation In Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises: Executive And Employee Perception Of Processes And Receptiveness, Bethany A. Davidson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explored open innovation activities in small and medium-sized enterprises. Most open innovation research to date has focused on large organizations; however, how large organizations engage in open innovation is very different from that of small and medium-size enterprises. The embedded design, mixed methods study utilized a survey delivered to owners or other organizational executives and employees of small and medium-size enterprises to solicit information regarding whether small and medium-size enterprises are actively engaging in inbound open innovation activities, their motivation for engaging in open innovation, and the sources they are utilizing to obtain new ideas for products and …

Smallholder Farmers, Environmental Change And Adaptation In A Human-Dominated Landscape In The Northern Highlands Of Rwanda, Apollinaire William

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Climate change and crop intensification are key challenges to the livelihoods and wellbeing of the majority of rural smallholder farmers in developing countries, particularly in human-dominated, climate-sensitive landscapes such as the northern highlands of Rwanda where issues of fluvial floods, soil erosion pose serious threats to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. In this mixed methods study conducted between August and December 2015, I explored smallholder farmers’ perceptions by examining what barriers might hinder the process of agroforestry adoption by smallholder farmers, what socio-economic and physical factors and attitudes influence crop choices, motivations for smallholder farmers’ willingness to plant trees within …

Exploring Perceptions Of The Potential Of Agricultural Insurance For Crop Risks Management Among Smallholder Farmers In Northern Ghana, John Bosco Baguri Sumani

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana are exposed to multiple agricultural risks, which require various adaptation strategies to address. However, these strategies are only partially effective. Agricultural insurance has been promoted to assist smallholders in low-income countries to manage their key agricultural risks. The Ghanaian government and its collaborating partners introduced three agricultural insurance programs (AIPs) since 2009. In countries other than Ghana, some post-piloting evaluations of AIPs have revealed mixed outcomes, with some schemes resulting in unintended socio-ecological and maladaptive consequences. Despite these concerns, no study has explored the potential of agricultural insurance for smallholders’ crop risks management in Ghana. …

Endeavors In Solidarity: Lessons From Advantaged Group Members In Anti-Oppression Work, Kelly Walsh

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Systems of privilege and oppression operate throughout the United States and beyond, and affect all individuals in different ways and to varying degrees. The privilege (unearned access or advantages) experienced by one group of people is inherently linked to the oppression (systemic injustices or barriers) endured by another. Further, individuals can -- and most do -- experience both privilege and oppression in different aspects of their identity. Individuals experiencing oppression have long worked against the systems that harm them. Of interest in this exploration is the engagement of those who benefit from privilege. This study used an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis …

Landscape Visualization: Influence On Engagement For Climate Resilience, Christa Daniels

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Research suggests an “Adaptation Deficit” exists in the realm of climate change mitigation and adaptation. There is a lack of climate adaptation goals, policies and projects implemented at the local level. Climate resilience relies on effective public engagement to ensure implementation. This type of engagement includes: (1) being aware of the issue and solutions; (2) feeling concerned about the problem; and (3) taking action. This research explores the impact of in situ 3D landscape visualization coupled with meaningful dialogue, on public engagement for climate change resilience. A mixed methods approach was used to undertake this research study using landscape visualization …

Noninvasive Collection Of Saliva In Panthera Leo : Creation And Validation Of A Novel Technique For Health Assessment In Captive African Lions (Panthera Leo), Elizabeth Sgambelluri

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Very little research exists concerning direct correlations between alterations in stress stimuli and direct effects on carnivore physiology. Many studies have researched and documented what factors correlate to increased stress levels in predator species. Lacking, however, are studies observing the specific physiologic influences of increased glucocorticoid concentrations in those individuals. Furthermore, methods for monitoring and assessing health or immune function in many carnivore species often involve invasive techniques, such as physical restraint, blood sampling, and chemical immobilization. This study aimed to create, evaluate, and describe a new device for noninvasive collection of saliva for health assessment. The device itself was …

Protected Area Planning And Management: Supporting Local Stakeholder Participation With An Asset-Based, Biocultural Approach, Nicole M. Wengerd

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Given the uncertainties and risks of anthropogenic climate change, the urgency to conserve biodiversity has renewed urgency that has prompted a number of international forums, treaties, and agencies to advocate for the establishment of new and/or expansion of existing protected areas. One of the most broadly recognized efforts to expand the global protected area network can be found in the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity Strategic Plan for 2011-2020, adopted in 2010 by 196 countries. Target 11 calls for the expansion of terrestrail and inland water areas, as well as coastal marine areas. While the …

Influences Of Forest Edges And Human Activities On The Dry Season Ranging Patterns Of Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes Schweinfurthii) In Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, Enathe Hasabwamariya

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Great apes, our closest biological relatives are threatened globally by the increasing anthropogenic pressures on their habitat. The major threats to the eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) are hunting for bush meat and illegal trade in chimpanzee infants, habitat loss or fragmentation and disease transmission (IUCN, 2010). Nyungwe National Park (NNP), Rwanda has a population of chimpanzees that face several threats, including hunting for bushmeat, habitat degradation from forest fires and human-wildlife conflicts, and much of these impacts are concentrated at forest edges. The main objectives of this research were to assess the use of forest edges by chimpanzees along …

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 …

Exploring Lifelong Influence Of Participating In The Junior Audubon Club During Childhood, Amy Weidensaul

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There is limited research looking at the role that specific programs play in the formation of environmental identity, or lifelong influences of specific environmental programs. This study looks to address this gap by exploring the salient and memorable experiences of past Junior Audubon Club members who participated in the program as children, and how they describe the influences of the program on their environmental identities. Based on this study, there were specific components of the Junior Audubon Club that proved most influential and lasting for the participants, including active learning in nature, supportive adults who shared similar interest and passions, …

Determining Pathways And Connections Between Access To Water And High School Noncompletion Rates For Communities Along The U.S.–Mexico Border, Margie R. Vela, Sarah E. Lind, Paul H. Gutierrez

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Lack of access to potable water through a conveyance system impacts all aspects of modern life. Many colonias, communities in the Southwestern United States along the U.S.–Mexico border, continue to lack access to piped and treated water. This article discusses a model for the pathway from lack of access to water to lack of high school completion, including intermediary conditions impacting wellness, health, and quality of life for community members. A facilitated discussion with five environmental and public health experts who frequently work in the colonias of El Paso County, Texas (border communities that resemble the developing world), established …