Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons^™

Outbreak Of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease In Captive Reindeer (Rangifer Tarandus), Emma H. Torii, Arno Wünschmann, Mia Kim Torchetti, Leo Koster, Albert Van Geelen, Randy Atchison, Anne Rivas

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In September 2020, an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease occurred in captive reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and was associated with neurological signs and mortality. Four reindeer died or were euthanized after acute illness over a 12-day period. Affected reindeer displayed abnormal behavior, neurologic signs, lethargy, and/or lameness. The most consistent gross finding was dark red streaks throughout the adrenal gland cortices (4/4). One animal had acute hemorrhage involving the subcutis and skeletal muscles over the ventrolateral body wall and back, and abomasal serosa. Histologically, the most common lesions were adrenal gland cortical hemorrhage (4/4) with necrosis (3/4) and lymphoplasmacytic meningoencephalitis with …

Investigation Of Risk Factors For Introduction Of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5n1 Virus Onto Table Egg Farms In The United States, 2022: A Case–Control Study, Alice L. Green, Matthew Branan, Victoria L. Fields, Kelly Patyk, Stephanie K. Kolar, Andrea Beam, Katherine Marshall, Rachel Mcguigan, Matthew Vuolo, Alexis Freifeld, Mia Kim Torchetti, Kristina Lantz, Amy H. Delgado

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Introduction: The 2022–2023 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 outbreak in the United States (U.S.) is the most geographically extensive and costly animal health event in U.S. history. In 2022 alone, over 57 million commercial and backyard poultry in 47 U.S. states were affected. Over 75% of affected poultry were part of the commercial table egg production sector. Methods: We conducted a case–control study to identify potential risk factors for introduction of HPAI virus onto commercial table egg operations. Univariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to compare farm characteristics, management, and biosecurity factors on case and control farms. Results: Factors …

Rabies Virus Serosurvey Of The Small Indian Mongoose (Urva Auropunctata) Across Multiple Habitats In Puerto Rico, 2014–21, Are R. Berentsen, Mel J. Rivera-Rodriguez, Fabiola B. Torres-Toledo, Amy J. Davis, Richard Chipman, Amy Gilbert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The small Indian mongoose (Urva auropuncata) is a rabies reservoir in Puerto Rico and accounts for over 70% of reported animal rabies cases annually. The presence of rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) is often used as a tool to measure exposure to rabies virus in wildlife populations. We conducted a serosurvey of mongooses at 11 sites representing six habitat types across Puerto Rico. We collected a serum sample from 464 individual mongooses during 2014–2021. Overall, 80/464 (17.0%; 95% confidence interval, 14.1–20.9%; 55 male, 23 female, and two sexes not recorded) of individual mongooses sampled across all habitats were RVNA …

Evaluation Of Oral Baits And Distribution Methods For Tasmanian Devils (Sarcophilus Harrisii), Sean Dempsey, Ruth J. Pyer, Amy Gilbert, Nicholas M. Fountain-Jones, Jennifer M. Moffat, Sarah Benson-Amram, Timothy J. Smyser, Andrew S. Flies

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context

Diseases are increasingly contributing to wildlife population declines. Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) populations have locally declined by 82%, largely owing to the morbidity and mortality associated with two independent transmissible devil facial tumours (DFT1 and DFT2). Toxic baits are often used as a management tool for controlling vertebrate pest populations in Australia, but in other areas of the world, oral baits are also used to deliver vaccines or pharmaceuticals to wildlife.

Aim

Our goal was to evaluate the potential use of edible baits as vehicles for vaccine delivery to Tasmanian devils.

Method

We first tested bait palatability with …

Predicting Dispersal And Conflict Risk For Wolf Recolonization In Colorado, Mark A. Ditmer, George Wittemyer, Katherine A. Zeller, Stewart W. Breck, Robert J. Fletcher Jr., Kevin R. Crooks

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. The colonization of suitable yet unoccupied habitat due to natural dispersal or human introduction can benefit recovery of threatened species. Predicting habitat suitability and conflict potential of colonization areas can facilitate conservation planning.

2. Planning for reintroduction of gray wolves (Canis lupus) to the United States state of Colorado is underway. Assessing which occupancy sites minimize the likelihood of human-wolf conflict during dispersal events and seasonal movements is critical to the success of this initiative.

3. We used a spatial absorbing Markov chain (SAMC) framework, which extends random walk theory and probabilistically accounts for both movement behavior …

Development And Evaluation Of Prototype Toxicant-Delivery Bait Stations For The Control Of The Small Indian Mongoose, Carmen C. Antaky, Robert T. Sugihara, Israel L. Leinbach, Shane R. Siers, Emily W. Ruell, Steven C. Hess

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We conducted research to develop a safe and effective toxic bait to control the small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata), an invasive vertebrate predator impacting the survival of native species in Hawai‘i (United States) and in other parts of the world. A preserved fish-based bait product was found to be highly palatable to mongooses in cage trials and subsequent formulations with diphacinone (0.005%) showed promise as an efficacious toxic bait for mongooses. This product is intended for future use to control mongooses in conservation and urban areas, and as a biosecurity tool at ports of entry to address accidental …

Population Density Of The Small Indian Mongoose (Urva Auropunctata) Across Multiple Habitat Types And Seasons In Puerto Rico, Are R. Berentsen, Caroline C. Sauvé, Mel J. Rivera-Rodriguez, Fabiola B. Torres-Toledo, Richard B. Chipman, Amy T. Gilbert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata) is a rabies reservoir on several Caribbean Islands including Puerto Rico. In the continental United States, oral rabies vaccination (ORV) has been used to control and locally eliminate rabies viruses targeting meso-carnivores including raccoons (Procyon lotor), grey foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and coyotes (Canis latrans), and has more recently been proposed to mitigate and control mongoose rabies in Puerto Rico. A fundamental understanding of the population density of the target species is an important factor in planning bait application rates prior to ORV operations. In Puerto Rico, …

Comparison Of Daily Activity Patterns Across Seasons Using Gps Telemetry And Camera Trap Data For A Widespread Mammal, David W. Wolfson, Peter E. Schlichting, Raoul K. Boughton, Ryan S. Miller, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Jesse S. Lewis

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Daily activity patterns of animals can be dynamic across seasons in response to changing environmental conditions. Daily activity, though, has rarely been evaluated in relation to multiple factors (for example, seasons, demographics, and data collection methods), which could be important for understanding what drives activity patterns. Here, we evaluated the daily activity patterns of a widespread invasive species, wild pigs (Sus scrofa), across two ecologically different study areas at Buck Island Ranch, Florida, and Tejon Ranch, California (United States), from 2015 to 2018. Using GPS telemetry data (62 individuals in Florida, 21 individuals in California) and detections from …

Are Rabid Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) Ready For The Rapture? Determining The Geographic Origin Of Rabies Virus-Infected Raccoons Using Radcapture And Microhaplotypes, Matthew W. Hopken, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Zaid Abdo, Richard B. Chipman, Clara P. Mankowski, Kathleen M. Nelson, Mikaela Samsel Hilton, Christine Thurber, Mirian T. N. Tsuchiya, Jesús E. Maldonado, Amy T. Gilbert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

North America is recognized for the exceptional richness of rabies virus (RV) wildlife reservoir species. Management of RV is accomplished through vaccination targeting mesocarnivore reservoir populations, such as the raccoon (Procyon lotor) in eastern North America. Raccoons are a common generalist species, and populations may reach high densities in developed areas, which can result in contact with humans and pets with potential exposures to the raccoon variant of RV throughout the eastern United States. Understanding the spatial movement of RV by raccoon populations is important for monitoring and refining strategies supporting the landscape-level control and local elimination of …

Home Range Overlap Between Small Indian Mongooses And Free Roaming Domestic Dogs In Puerto Rico: Implications For Rabies Management, Caroline C. Sauvé, Are R. Berentsen, Steven F. Llanos, Amy T. Gilbert, Patrick A. Leighton

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata) is the primary terrestrial wildlife rabies reservoir on at least four Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, mongooses represent a risk to public health, based on direct human exposure and indirectly through the transmission of rabies virus to domestic animals. To date, the fundamental ecological relationships of space use among mongooses and between mongooses and domestic animals remain poorly understood. This study is the first to report mongoose home range estimates based on GPS telemetry, as well as concurrent space use among mongooses and free roaming domestic dogs (FRDD; Canis …

Type And Frequency Of Wild Pig-Domestic Livestock Contacts And Operator Concern For Disease Spread, Sophie C. Mckee, Daniel F. Mooney, Ryan S. Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) can levy substantial costs to domestic livestock operations and global supply chains due to disease introduction. Producers can take defensive action to avert these costs, but the factors influencing these decisions are not well understood. We examined survey data to characterize the type and frequency of contacts between wild pigs and domestic livestock and investigated the determinants of farm operator concern for disease introduction using an ordered logit model. We found that operators with livestock kept in buildings were more concerned about disease than those with livestock kept in fenced areas or that roam …

Turkey Vulture Survival Is Reduced In Areas Of Greater Road Density, Adrián Naveda-Rodríguez, Keith L. Bildstein, David R. Barber, Jean-François Therrien, Michael L. Avery, Bryan M. Kluever, Scott A. Rush, Francisco J. Vilella

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The demography of, and factors that influence these metrics, are largely unknown for most vultures in the Americas. Survivorship of turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) may be influenced by landscape heterogeneity and human disturbance. We quantified the effects of landscape composition (Shannon’s diversity index) and configuration (contagion, edge density, and largest patch index), and human disturbance (road density) on the annual and seasonal survival probabilities of the three North American breeding populations (western, central, and eastern) of turkey vultures that spend the nonbreeding season in the southeastern portion of the Nearctic and the northern Neotropics during a 17-year period. …

Hepatozoon Spp. Infection In Wild Canids In The Eastern United States, Eliza Baker, Alex Clemson, Debra Miller, Kayla Buck Garrett, Christopher A. Cleveland, Justin Brown, Kyle Van Why, Richard W. Gerhold Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background Hepatozoon spp. are apicomplexan parasites known to cause musculoskeletal disease in a variety of animals. Two species are known to infect wild and domestic canids in the United States: Hepatozoon canis and H. americanum.

Methods In this study, blood, heart, and/or spleen samples were collected from 278 wild canids (180 coyotes, 93 red foxes, and 5 gray foxes) in the eastern US and tested via PCR for Hepatozoon. Histology slides of heart and skeletal muscle were assessed for Hepatozoon cysts and associated inflammation when fresh tissue was available (n = 96).

Results Hepatozoon spp. were …

A Next-Generation Sequencing Study Of Arthropods In The Diet Of Laysan Teal Anas Laysanensis, Wieteke A. Hothuijzen, Carmen C. Antaky, Elizabeth N. Flint, Jonathan H. Plissner, Coral A. Wolf, Holly P. Jones

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The critically endangered Laysan teal Anas laysanensis (known as koloa po¯haka in the Hawaiian language), in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands has wild populations on Kamole (Laysan Island), Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll NWR) and Ho¯laniku¯ (Kure Atoll). The Laysan teal face a new risk on Sand Island in Kuaihelani: non-target poisoning via a pending House Mouse Mus musculus eradication program. After mice were observed attacking and depredating Laysan albatross Phoebastria immutabilis (mo¯lı¯) in 2015, plans to eradicate the mice were developed to protect this seabird species. This approach, however, risks poisoning the Laysan teal. To reduce exposure, teal will be translocated during …

Raccoon Densities Across Four Land Cover Types In The Southeastern United States, Jocab E. Hill, James L. Helton, David A. Bernasconi, Wesley C. Dixon, Matt T. Hamilton, Richard B. Chipman, Amy T. Gilbert, James C. Beasley, Guha Dharmarajan, Olin E. Rhodes Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are the primary reservoir for rabies virus in eastern North America. Management of rabies in raccoons is achieved primarily with the use of oral rabies vaccination (ORV) and effective ORV bait densities are determined in part by the densities of raccoons. Decisions regarding ORV bait densities, however, are limited by an incomplete understanding of raccoon densities across the spectrum of landscapes they occupy. We carried out a markrecapture study of raccoons on the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA, from 2017–2019, to develop sex‐ and landscape‐specific raccoon density estimates across 4 rural land cover …

How Do Cooperatives Enable Empowerment Among Rural Women? Evidence From The Municipality Of Cavinti, Laguna, Maria Theresa M. Castro-Bernardo, Liezel S. Cruz

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

The persistent gender issues and their implications for sustainable development have led to several strategic yet collective schemes, such as the cooperatives, promising to contribute to (women) empowerment and social equality. Guided by Kabeer’s conceptual framework, this study analyzes the role of cooperative membership in promoting empowerment among its female coop-members in Cavinti, Laguna. Primary and secondary sources of data were used and analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The result indicates that cooperatives play a critical role in empowering women by providing new and/or improved knowledge and skills through capacity-building training necessary to make informed decisions, thus strengthening …

Pollution Emissions And Economic Growth In Asia Through The Lens Of The Environmental Kuznets Curve, Brian Jason H. Ponce, Yolanda T. Garcia, Gideon P. Carnaje, Agham C. Cuevas

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

The nonlinear relationship of pollution emissions with economic growth alongside energy consumption variables was examined to test the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis using a panel sample comprising 34 Asian economies from 2001 to 2013. Panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag models in the forms of Pooled Mean Group and Mean Group models were estimated and tested against one another using the Hausman test. For robustness checks, the same econometric techniques were applied to disaggregated panel groups based on income classifications. The study reveals that, while the EKC hypothesis holds in Asia, the findings were not robust across the disaggregated panel groups. …

Preferences Of Coffee Farmers For Attributes Of Selected Coffee Technologies In The Philippines, Jayson S. Cabral, Dia Noelle F. Velasco, Mar B. Cruz, Nohreen Ethel P. Manipol, Hannah D. Miranda-Quibot

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

This paper looked into the preferences of 151 coffee farmers for the attributes of selected coffee technologies. The study was done to help guide technology developers in crafting post harvest processing facilities for coffee which their target market will need which can lead to a higher probability of commercialization of new coffee technologies. The study examined the preferences for attributes for coffee dryers, moisture meters, coffee depulpers, and coffee sorters using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) framework. The results revealed that the quality of the final product is the top priority for coffee farmers when choosing a coffee dryer. Non-destructiveness …

Market Analysis And Positioning Of Processed Halal Chevon Food Products, Jalaloden B. Marohom, Ivy Mar B. Cabornida

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

Halal has gained popularity as a result of consumer concerns about food safety and ethical issues. Chevon is an important source of protein. However, no halal chevon products are commercially produced. Hence, the study aimed to develop positioning strategies to commercialize the products. A survey was undertaken of 400 potential consumers in the Philippines. The majority of the respondents were willing to buy halal food products. Descriptive statistics were applied, and findings revealed that products were generally acceptable. Potential consumers prefer it in wide assortment, in proper packaging, has informative labels, and easy to locate. However, their preference is significantly …

Ex-Ante Cost-Benefit Analysis Of High-End And Low-Cost Wireless Sensor Network (Wsn) Technology Packages For Efficient Irrigation Water Management In The Philippines, Marielle Q. Aringo, Victor B. Ella, Camille G. Martinez, Gamiello S. Pereira

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

Four wireless sensor network (WSN) technology packages developed for efficient irrigation water management in the Philippines were subjected to ex-ante cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to assess their financial viability. The WSN technologies include high-end and low-cost wireless sensors for upland crop production with drip irrigation system and lowland crop production with alternate wetting and drying (AWD). Results showed that the high-end WSN technology packages are only viable for high-value crops such as red onion, bell pepper, and hot pepper. The low-cost WSN technology packages are viable for all selected crops except sweet corn. Minimum areas were also generated for each crop …

Evaluating Equity In Transportation Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Strategies In Local Climate Action Planning In Oakland, California, Eliza J. Kane

Master's Projects and Capstones

Emissions from California’s transportation sector contribute to global climate change and impact local air quality and public health. Forty-one percent of California’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 were from transportation. Transportation emissions are also a source of many health-harming air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter. Disadvantaged communities in California experience disproportionate impacts from transportation emissions and suffer worse health effects, including higher incidences of asthma, cardiovascular disease, and premature death. Cities have led the way in policymaking to mitigate and adapt to climate change, including creating Climate Action Plans (CAPs) to propose strategies to …

Recommendations For Sustainable Tourism In Patagonia: An Exploratory Analysis Of Sustainable Tourism In Costa Rica, The Nordic Region, And Thailand’S Communities, Julia K. Lowery

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores different levels of governance and its role towards actualizing sustainable tourism in Patagonia. With the growing threat of climate change, international destinations such as Patagonia are looking to continue building their tourism industries in a sustainable way. Through analyzing case studies of national governance in Costa Rica, multi-national governance in the Nordic region, and community-based tourism in Thailand, we can better understand how each form of governance has the potential to create a sustainable tourism industry. With this understanding of successful governance in my case studies, as well as understanding the historical and political forces that have …

Scientists And Activists Work To Save The Planet, Myriam G. Vidal Valero

Capstones

Climate change and human intervention in nature are affecting people, ecosystems and ways of living all over the world. This portfolio of environmental pieces showcases the dire consequences of not addressing these issues, how solutions can be reached and the challenges facing those who try to change things.

Towards Structured Planning And Learning At The State Fisheries Agency Scale, Caleb A. Aldridge

Theses and Dissertations

Inland recreational fisheries has grown philosophically and scientifically to consider economic and sociopolitical aspects (non-biological) in addition to the biological. However, integrating biological and non-biological aspects of inland fisheries has been challenging. Thus, an opportunity exists to develop approaches and tools which operationalize planning and decision-making processes which include biological and non-biological aspects of a fishery. This dissertation expands the idea that a core set of goals and objectives is shared among and within inland fisheries agencies; that many routine operations of inland fisheries managers can be regimented or standardized; and the novel concept that current information and operations can …

Exposure Of Egyptian Rousette Bats (Rousettus Aegyptiacus) And A Little Free-Tailed Bat (Chaerephon Pumilus) To Alphaviruses In Uganda, Rebekah C. Kading, Erin M. Borland, Eric C. Mossel, Teddy Nakayiki, Betty Nalikka, Jeremy P. Ledermann, Mary B. Crabtree, Nicholas A. Panella, Luke Nyakarahuka, Amy T. Gilbert, Julian C. Kerbis-Peterhans, Jonathan S. Towner, Brian R. Amman, Tara K. Sealy, Barry R. Miller, Julius J. Lutwama, Robert M. Kityo, Ann M. Powers

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The reservoir for zoonotic o’nyong-nyong virus (ONNV) has remained unknown since this virus was first recognized in Uganda in 1959. Building on existing evidence for mosquito bloodfeeding on various frugivorous bat species in Uganda, and seroprevalence for arboviruses among bats in Uganda, we sought to assess if serum samples collected from bats in Uganda demonstrated evidence of exposure to ONNV or the closely related zoonotic chikungunya virus (CHIKV). In total, 652 serum samples collected from six bat species were tested by plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) for neutralizing antibodies against ONNV and CHIKV. Forty out of 303 (13.2%) Egyptian rousettes …

Demographic Groups Differ In Urban Recreational Behavior, Brandon Barlow

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Urban recreational behavior is an essential component to understanding both how our recreational opportunities will be utilized and how they can be further improved. By improving recreational opportunities, we can ensure safe and reliable emotional and physical outlets for users. As urban areas continue to expand both in geographic area and in population size, urban recreational opportunities will also see growth in the number of recreational users. Demographics provide the opportunity to further understand and predict recreational behavior, producing a variety of decision management tools. Our goal was to understand differences in urban recreational behavior among demographic groups. To address …

Sturgeon Chub Distributional Patterns And Habitat Use And Benthic Fish Assemblage Structure In Missouri River Tributaries Of South Dakota, Mitchell R. Magruder

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Native species of the Missouri River drainage inhabiting benthic habitats dominate state and federal lists of species at risk. Sicklefin Chub Macrhybopsis meeki and Sturgeon Chub Macrhybopsis gelida are two native Missouri River benthic minnows that are currently under review for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) due to extensive population declines and local extirpations within their native range. Substantial alterations to the Missouri River threaten Macrhybopsis spp. and other benthic fishes; however, large, less impacted tributaries in South Dakota may act as refugia for native species. The extent of Sicklefin Chub and Sturgeon Chub populations is largely …

Vegetation Type Is An Important Predictor Of The Arctic Summer Land Surface Energy Budget, Jacqueline Oehri, Gabriela Schaepman-Strub, Jin Soo Kim, Raleigh Grysko, Heather Kropp, Inge Grünberg, Vitalii Zemlianskii, Oliver Sonnentag, Eugénie S. Euskirchen, Merin Reji Chacko, Giovanni Muscari, Peter D. Blanken, Joshua F. Dean, Alcide Di Sarra, Richard J. Harding, Ireneusz Sobota, Lars Kutzbach, Elena Plekhanova, Aku Riihelä, Julia Boike, Nathaniel B. Miller, Jason Beringer, Efrén López-Blanco, Paul C. Stoy, Ryan C. Sullivan, Marek Kejna, Frans Jan W. Parmentier, John A. Gamon, Mikhail Mastepanov, Christian Wille, Marcin Jackowicz-Korczynski, Dirk N. Karger, William L. Quinton, Jaakko Putkonen, Dirk Van As, Torben R. Christensen, Maria Z. Hakuba, Robert S. Stone, Stefan Metzger, Baptiste Vandecrux

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Despite the importance of high-latitude surface energy budgets (SEBs) for land-climate interactions in the rapidly changing Arctic, uncertainties in their prediction persist. Here, we harmonize SEB observations across a network of vegetated and glaciated sites at circumpolar scale (1994–2021). Our variance-partitioning analysis identifies vegetation type as an important predictor for SEB-components during Arctic summer (June-August), compared to other SEB-drivers including climate, latitude and permafrost characteristics. Differences among vegetation types can be of similar magnitude as between vegetation and glacier surfaces and are especially high for summer sensible and latent heat fluxes. The timing of SEB-flux summer-regimes (when daily mean values …

Earlier Snowmelt May Lead To Late Season Declines In Plant Productivity And Carbon Sequestration In Arctic Tundra Ecosystems, Donatella Zona, Peter M. Lafleur, Koen Hufkens, Barbara Bailey, Beniamino Gioli, George Burba, Jordan P. Goodrich, Anna K. Liljedahl, Eugénie S. Euskirchen, Jennifer D. Watts, Mary Farina, John S. Kimball, Martin Heimann, Mathias Göckede, Martijn Pallandt, Torben R. Christensen, Mikhail Mastepanov, Efrén López-Blanco, Marcin Jackowicz-Korczynski, Albertus J. Dolman, Luca Belelli Marchesini, Roisin Commane, Steven C. Wofsy, Charles E. Miller, David A. Lipson, Josh Hashemi, Kyle A. Arndt, Lars Kutzbach, David Holl, Julia Boike, Christian Wille, Torsten Sachs, Aram Kalhori, Xia Song

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Arctic warming is affecting snow cover and soil hydrology, with consequences for carbon sequestration in tundra ecosystems. The scarcity of observations in the Arctic has limited our understanding of the impact of covarying environmental drivers on the carbon balance of tundra ecosystems. In this study, we address some of these uncertainties through a novel record of 119 site-years of summer data from eddy covariance towers representing dominant tundra vegetation types located on continuous permafrost in the Arctic. Here we found that earlier snowmelt was associated with more tundra net CO2 sequestration and higher gross primary productivity (GPP) only in June …

Aquaculture In Africa: Aquatic Animal Welfare, Impact On The Environment And The Sustainability Of The Sector, Mwenda M. Mbaka, Janice H. Cox, Stephen Ronan

Aquaculture

The African aquaculture sector recorded the fastest growth in the world between 2006-2018, averaging 10% or more, and is expected to partially fill the growing fish supply-demand gap up to 2063. In 2018, there were about 1.2 million aquafarmers across the continent, an increase from 920 thousand in 2014. According to the African Development Bank, expansion of aquaculture in Africa is hampered by "the overwhelming predominance of tilapia farming, which relies heavily on the production of fingerlings from a limited number of genetically improved strains that are resistant to the many diseases affecting this species, and on the production of …