Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Examination Of The Ways In Which Transdisciplinary Research Could Be Used To Incentivize Local Communities To Combat The Illegal Wildlife Trade, Jessica Rios

FIU Undergraduate Research Journal

The illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is currently one of the most critical conservation concerns, given its direct impact on biodiversity loss, endangering local ecosystems, and adding pressure to all species at a point when they face dangers like deforestation and mass extinctions. This industry also significantly impacts local communities, many of which are compelled to engage in it as a result of their precarious socioeconomic conditions. While effective countermeasures to this global issue have been identified, successful implementation of these countermeasures require diverse disciplines and collaborators. This paper argues that a transdisciplinary approach that converges knowledge and skills from social …

Sustainability In Action: Green Infrastructure As A Marker Of Sustainable Urban Development, Brianna Nadine Santiago

FIU Undergraduate Research Journal

The current form and pace of urbanization is an ongoing threat to sustainable urban development. As these problems span social, environmental, and economic realms, it is imperative that any proposed solution is able to address these problems holistically. Although a number of silver-bullet solutions such as electric vehicle adoption have been introduced, they do not respond to the problems with an integrated approach. Tackling this problem will require a solution that can be changed and applied on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, the development of green infrastructure is the most efficient solution when responding to the problems threatening urban sustainability. The …

Power Outage And Environmental Justice In Winter Storm Uri: An Analytical Workflow Based On Nighttime Light Remote Sensing, Jinwen Xu, Yi Qiang, Heng Cai, Lei Zou

GIS Center

The intensity of extreme weather events has been increasing, posing a unique threat to society and highlighting the importance of our electrical power system, a key component in our infrastructure. In severe weather events, quickly identifying power outage impact zones and affected communities is crucial for informed disaster response. However, a lack of household-level power outage data impedes timely and precise assessments. To address these challenges, we introduced an analytical workflow using NASA’s Black Marble daily nighttime light (NTL) images to detect power outages from the 2021 Winter Storm Uri. This workflow includes adjustments to mitigate viewing angle and snow …

Sociology: A Guide To Action Or To Analysis In The Global Climate Change Crisis? A Call For Action By The Social Sciences And The Humanities, Kim Scipes

Class, Race and Corporate Power

The debate over the purpose of sociological research has historically been one between Marx and Weber: is sociology’s role to analyze society (ala Weber) or to change it (Marx)?

The issue of climate change and environmental destruction is one that has been relegated to the margins of Sociology, being seen as an “environmental” issue. The changes we’ve seen so far, however, show how this has had and is having a major impact on human beings and, at least in the United States, is having a major impact on the culture of the country, both in general and specifically on different …

Banshees Of Late Capitalism: War, Ecology, & Alienation, Bryant W. Sculos

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This review essay explores the concepts of war, ecology/human-nonhuman relations, and alienation through a critical analysis of McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin (2022).

An Assessment Of Climate Mobility Pressures In Response To Dynamic Sea-Level Rise, Nadia A. Seeteram

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sea-level rise (SLR) and related flooding impacts will contribute to migration across coastal communities around the world. Differential exposure to impacts, societal vulnerability, and adaptive capacity will invariably lead to varying climate-related mobility outcomes for residents of these communities. Residents of Miami-Dade County (MDC), FL, USA are at substantial risk to the direct and indirect impacts of SLR and related flooding. As the 2nd most economically unequal metropolitan area in the U.S. according to the Gini coefficient (0.508), without strategic intervention, marginalized and vulnerable communities across MDC will disproportionately face unequal mobility pressures. This dissertation seeks to understand the potential …

Three Essays On Understanding Social And Economic Responses To Crisis And Disaster Events, Shahnawaz Mohammad Rafi

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation comprises three chapters that analyze the social and economic responses to crises and disasters. In the first chapter, I have investigated whether media affects the US official foreign aid channel or crisis related aid. I have examined natural disaster citations in four mainstream US newspapers to analyze whether they influence the Official Development Assistance (ODA) or the short-term crisis related aid need of a recipient following a natural disaster. I created three new media variables to measure the strength of media effect on US ODA, humanitarian aid, and food aid. The empirical analyses indicate that media citation only …

The Politics Of The Self: Psychedelic Assemblages, Psilocybin, And Subjectivity In The Anthropocene, Joshua Falcon

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how psychedelic substances become drawn into particular sociohistorical and political arrangements, and how psychedelic experiences with psilocybin ‘magic mushrooms’ are used as tools of subjectivation. Guided by literatures in philosophy, critical theory, and the social sciences that focus on subjectivity, assemblage theory, and critical posthumanism, I argue that psychedelics are drawn into variegated assemblages, each of which conceptualizes the nature of psychedelics in highly specific ways that reflect implicit conceptions of the world and the self. In developing the concept of psychedelic assemblages, this research provides a window onto the politics of the self in the Anthropocene. …

Urban Rivers As Social-Ecological Systems: An Examination Of History & Ecology In The Miami River, Daniela B. Daniele

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rivers have played significant roles in development of cities worldwide. Increasing urbanization has diminished the quality of lotic resources and altered the way in which humans interact with rivers by converting free flowing rivers into heavily altered systems. The Miami River in South Florida, USA, provides a model case for examining urban rivers as social-ecological systems. Research on urban rivers in general and the Miami River is limited. To date, how the urbanization of Miami and surrounding areas may have disrupted social-ecological riverine connectivity has not been studied. To fill this gap, I compiled an environmental history of the river …

Three Essays In Applied Economics, Mohammad Javad Mehregan

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Governments worldwide support their national economies to obtain growth, adequate employment, and price durability. Regulation is a unique approach through which governments control the economy. Governments attempt to maintain and regulate the economy in various ways to guarantee that business fosters the common good. The range of government regulations is enormous and touches all areas of the economy and all features of daily life. Understanding the effect of regulations on the economy is essential since its outcomes can improve government interventions’ efficiency. Applied economics can help measure the effectiveness of government intervention on economic outcomes.

This dissertation includes three essays …

Developing Sustainable Soil Building Strategies For Tropical Fruit Groves Within The South Florida Redland, Ariel Freidenreich

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tropical fruit production has become a lucrative industry in Miami-Dade County. Consequently, developing sustainable farming practices to be applied to these systems to ensure healthy soils and economically viable fruit production is becoming increasingly important. The study is focused on the incorporation of cover cropping as a management strategy for perennial tropical fruit production and its applications for local growers. Cover crops are plants that are grown to cover soil to reduce erosion, increase soil fertility, and enhance farmland biodiversity. The project was specifically designed to test the impacts of highly prolific legumes sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) and …

Three Essays Of Assessing The Risk, Adaptation And Resilience To Natural Disasters, Mohammad Asif Hasan Khan

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three chapters in environmental and natural resource economics. In the first chapter, using survey data, I investigate what factors are important in people's evacuation decisions in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. I examine if temporal spillover is present in their decision making and how significant the spillover effect is. With that objective in mind, I examine the effect of previous evacuation experience on future evacuation decision. I also analyze how network effects influence people's evacuation decisions during a natural disaster.

As the threat of climate change grows, communities around the world are facing the dangers of …

Small And Medium Enterprises In The Americas, Effect Of Disaster Experience On Readiness Capabilities, Juan Pablo Sarmiento, Catalina Sarmiento, Gabriela Hoberman, Meenakshi Jerath, Vicente Sandoval

DRR Faculty Publications

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is key in strengthening resilience and achievement of sustainable development. The private sector is co-responsible for DRR: it is a generator of risks, and a subject exposed to risks. There are competing narratives in the literature regarding the relationship between business’ disaster experience and DRR. The current study defined and characterized businesses in the Americas, with a particular interest in small and medium enterprises, and examined whether disaster experience predicts DRR, considering business size. Secondary data analyses were conducted using data from a previous study on private sector participation in DRR conducted in six Western Hemisphere …

Utilizing Multi-Criteria Analysis And Analytical Hierarchy Process To Facilitate Everglades Restoration Decision-Making, Chloe C. Vorseth

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Greater Everglades Ecosystem (GEE) restoration is a complex undertaking, with a variety of potential outcomes and trade-offs impacting numerous stakeholders. This study utilizes a strategy for facilitating GEE restoration that is based in social science principles and informed by stakeholder opinion, ecologists, and biological modeling techniques. Information in this study was gathered through the use of an online survey involving stakeholder preferences for GEE restoration outcomes. Results revealed that sample stakeholders weighed the outcome of improving seasonal flow of water highest, followed by reducing polluted discharges from Lake Okeechobee, then increasing water storage for human use, and lastly restoring the …

Conservation And Management Of Arapaima Spp. In The Colombian Amazon, Ana A. Rojas

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to conserve megafaunal, charismatic freshwater fish species, an interdisciplinary, translational ecology approach is needed. This thesis explores trends in conservation of the pan-Amazonian Arapaima spp., with two major components. First, I examined research trends on Arapaima over the last 50 years by categorizing articles by theme and geography. My results showed that aquaculture and biology were dominant themes, with most research conducted in the Brazilian Amazon. Second, I conducted field research in the Colombian Amazon to examine perceptions of Arapaima management at various geographic and political scales. One important finding was the crucial role of communities and small-scale …

Coupling Telemetry And Stable Isotope Techniques To Unravel Movement: Snook Habitat Use Across Variable Nutrient Environments, Cody W. Eggenberger

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Habitat selection by organisms can be driven by a number of factors, including the availability of resources. In particular, nutrient enrichment can alter the quality of landscapes, and thus the availability of resources, with implications for consumer movement and habitat use. In coastal ecosystems, eutrophication can affect the production and distribution of resources, and thus the behaviors and space use of consumers. In this study, I coupled acoustic telemetry methods and stable isotope analyses (SIA) to examine the effects of nutrient enrichment on the movement, habitat use, and resource use of Common Snook (Centropomus undecimalis), a valuable recreational …

It's Capitalism, Stupid!: The Theoretical And Political Limitations Of The Concept Of Neoliberalism, Bryant William Sculos

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This polemical essay explores the meaning and function of the concept of neoliberalism, focusing on the serious theoretical and political limitations of the concept. The crux of the argument is that, for those interested in overcoming the exploitative and oppressively destructive elements of global capitalism, opposing "neoliberalism" (even if best understood as a process or a spectrum of "neoliberalization" or simply privatization) is both insufficient and potentially self-undermining. This article also goes into some detail on the issues of health care and climate change in relation to "neoliberalism" (both conceptually and the material processes and policies that this term refers …

Generating Alternatives: The Possible Energy Transitions For France And Germany After The Paris Accord, Anna Fache

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Following the Paris Accord of 2015, multiple countries, including France and Germany, promised to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to slow down climate change. Current energy production and consumption patterns do not allow for such targets. Meeting these emission reduction goals requires a transition in energy production. Energy transitions can be inefficient and costly if not planned properly, and multiple constraints need to be taken into account when putting such a process in place. The model proposed in the present study aims to find the most cost-effective energy portfolios for France and Germany, two highly industrialized nations in …

Assessment Of Watersheds For Sustainable Agriculture In Karnataka, India, Nicholas Adam Charles

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Modernization of traditional small-scale irrigation tanks in India is becoming increasingly popular. This is due to high costs of the alternative, of developing and constructing large-scale projects in rural areas. Examination of management strategies, resource allocation, and collective action has become paramount for promoting food security and livelihoods in water-stressed areas of Southeast Asia. Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing techniques are valuable to assessing the management of these irrigation systems, specifically small water storage reservoirs that capture runoff from the monsoon known as irrigation tanks. The primary goal of this study is to develop a stakeholder-informed approach to …

Essays On Economic Valuation Of Water Resources, Christina Estela Brown

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increased potential of flooding caused by heavy precipitation events and sea level rise, as well as growing risk of drought that are likely changes in the frequency and spatial distribution of climatic conditions, pose particular challenges to water management in coastal areas. Extreme events are expected to increase the complexity of managing scarce water resources for competing water users. South Florida, which is characterized by a mosaic of urban settlements, agricultural areas and natural areas, is served by a highly human-engineered water management system grappling to meet multiple objectives, including urban and agricultural water supply, flood control, and environmental restoration. …

Cost Benefit Analysis Of Restocking The Threatened Caribbean Staghorn Coral On The Florida Reef Tract, Kevin Cavasos

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Once a dominant structure building coral on shallow water reefs throughout the Caribbean and western Atlantic, staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) has experienced precipitous regional declines in abundance since the 1970s, the result of a multitude of interlinked natural and human-induced stressors. To mitigate declining trends and support the recovery of wild staghorn populations, a restocking program has been initiated to transplant tens of thousands of nursery-reared staghorn colonies annually onto reefs off SE Florida and throughout the Caribbean. The objective of the present study is to examine the business case for a large-scale staghorn coral restocking program in the Florida …

Fundamental Mechanistic Studies On The Ultrasonic Treatment Of Problematic Water Pollutants And Toxins, Danni Cui

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Problematic organic pollutants in industrial and drinking water sources are a leading cause of water scarcity. Among the advanced oxidation processes, sonolytic degradation has received considerable attention because it combines oxidation processes initiated by reactive oxidant species and a pyrolysis processes associated with the high temperatures produced during cavitation.

The degradation of the semi-volatile compound, MCHM, was rapid and followed pseudo-first order kinetics. The Freundlich kinetic model for heterogeneous systems was successfully applied to describe the non-uniform distribution of MCHM at the gas-liquid interface during ultrasonic treatment. Two primary products were confirmed by GC-MS. Computational studies were also applied to …

Cultural Politics Of Community-Based Conservation In The Buffer Zone Of Chitwan National Park, Nepal, Yogesh Dongol

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation research examines the socio-economic and political effects of community-based conservation initiatives within the Bagmara buffer zone community forests of Chitwan National Park, Nepal. In particular, the study investigates the role of buffer zones creation in structuring the way rural property rights have been defined, negotiated, and contested, in reinforcing or reducing patterns of ethnic dominance and exclusion, and in influencing how cultural identities are constituted and renegotiated. Using a political ecology framework with a specific focus on theoretical concepts of environmentality and territorialization, I conducted 12 months ethnographic and quantitative survey field research in the buffer zone communities …

Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Total Phosphorus Concentration In Soil And Surface Water In The Everglades Protection Area, Shishir Kumar Sarker

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Draining of the Everglades allowed for the expansion of urban and agricultural development, reducing half of the size of the historic Everglades. The detrimental cascading effect on the Everglades ecosystem function is related to the total phosphorus (TP) concentrations of water inflow, the inflow rate and the distance from the discharge point. As Everglades restoration has approached 15 years since the inception of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), there is a need to assess its progress across the ecosystem. Available data from 2004 to 2014 were collected for soils and from 2004 to 2016 for water to understand a …

International Trade And Environmental Regulation, Qingru Tu

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is composed of three chapters regarding international trade and environmental regulation. The first chapter focuses on the relationship between port ownership and the port R\&D investment. I investigate whether a larger degree of private involvement in the port sector makes for a higher level of welfare, as well as an improvement in port performance. I establish the stage games to analyze the reciprocal international trade. The theoretical findings indicate that the endowment of population plays an essential role in choosing the optimal port ownership. In the second chapter, I investigate the effect of port pollution regulation on port …

“Un Poder Transformador”. Creatividad Y Habilidades De Pensamiento Que Nutren La Experimentación De Nuevas Ideas Sustentables”, Vanesa Abadie A. Abadie

ICOT 18 - International Conference on Thinking - Cultivating Mindsets for Global Citizens

Si partimos de preguntas tales como: ¿Qué vale la pena enseñar?, ¿Cómo las habilidades de pensamiento promueven prácticas que conducen a la sostenibilidad ambiental y la revitalización?, ¿Cómo promovemos el desarrollo de habilidades de pensamiento que conduzcan al uso del conocimiento, la tecnología y la innovación para promover la sostenibilidad y la revitalización?

Como docentes debemos introducir desafíos en contextos adecuados para así generar en los alumnos nuevas ideas. Tanto la creatividad como el pensamiento crítico son procesos que se nutren con la experimentación de ideas. Ellas pueden surgir a través de una acción, un relato, una imagen, un tópico …

Trash To Treasure, Kim Rizio, Brooke Fatima Yubero, Defne Timurkan, Corey Gildersleeve

ICOT 18 - International Conference on Thinking - Cultivating Mindsets for Global Citizens

Based on research of the “Children Are Citizens” initiative from Project Zero at Harvard University, the Trash to Treasure project will engage and capacitate our preschoolers and lower elementary students to be agents of change in our local community. This interdisciplinary project will bring attention to an important environmental issue within our community. Plastic pollution will be transformed into an interactive exhibit and lead our students from bystanders to advocates. Community-wide beach clean-ups will provide students with the trash to create an original multi-media piece that incorporates movement to engage and communicate our message. The installation of the piece in …

Evaluating The Successes Of Land Trust Conservation: Social Effects Of Incentive-Based Efforts In Northern Michigan, Kathryn Nicole Braddock

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Little Traverse Conservancy (LTC) of Michigan is a contemporary land trust organization. A case study of LTC identified the accomplishments and challenges of LTC as well as criteria for successful land conservation. Research emphasizes knowledge gaps in effective conservation efforts. An applied research protocol to improve ecological and socio-political knowledge about the workings of LTC and, by corollary, other similar land trusts is recommended.

Key informant interviews (n=33) were conducted with LTC stakeholders. The objective of these interviews was to understand the perceptions and motivations of LTC stakeholders and more broadly, of small-scale land conservation. Findings show …

Speaking Private Authority: The Construction Of Sustainability In Forests And Fisheries, Roberto Jose Flores

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this dissertation is to expand upon current understandings of the emergent global phenomenon that is private authority. Private authority is a process wherein private actors create, implement, and enforce rules aimed at managing global problems. As private authority is becoming increasingly important in the conduct of global governance, broadening our understanding of it will serve the field of International Relations. In this dissertation I argue that private actors are not simply outgrowths of structures or certain material conditions, rather they are purposive actors strategically pursuing an agenda. As such, explaining private authority requires an examination of the …

A Floristic Study Of Halmahera, Indonesia Focusing On Palms (Arecaceae) And Their Seed Dispersal, Melissa E. Abdo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dispersal services of frugivores affect plant community assembly, persistence, and gene flow in the short-term, and in the long-term are critical to ensuring that tropical trees and palms can regenerate in disturbed areas and can migrate amidst climate change. Halmahera is the largest Moluccan island within the Wallacea biodiversity hotspot, yet data on its plant and animal distributions and interactions are almost null. I studied the tropical trees and palms of Halmahera and their seed dispersal dynamics. Chapter I explores the palms of the Moluccan islands through field-, herbarium-, and literature- based studies. The results of herbarium specimen collections …