Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

What’S At “Steak”: The Drivers Of Deforestation In The Brazilian Amazon And Potential Multilateral Solutions, Soleil Gaylord

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines the contemporary drivers of deforestation in the Brazilian Legal Amazon and how multilateral solutions can be employed to bring forest loss to zero. Insights from the scholarly literature and five expert interviews allow a critical assessment of how the rise of unilateralism presents a novel threat to the Brazilian Legal Amazon and, by proxy, those relying on the region’s raw resources and ecosystem services. Integrating analyses of both Brazilian institutional structures and global environmental governance frameworks, this study examines the primary historical and contemporary factors driving accelerated deforestation rates observed under Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro. In identifying …

Hummingbird Diversity, Abundance, And Feeding Interactions Across Three Floral Communities On Mount Totumas, Chiriquí, Panamá, Zachary Ginn

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

(Trochilidae) are a large Neotropical bird family of nectar-feeders that have evolved as pollinators of many Neotropical plants. Interactions between hummingbirds and plants form mutualistic networks that may change in structure over environmental and anthropogenic gradients. While the unique dynamics of hummingbird diversity and floral interactions have been studied throughout the Neotropics, differing drivers between locations emphasizes the need for further local research. This deficit is especially crucial in biodiverse and understudied locations like the Western Highlands of Panamá. In this study, I investigated how hummingbird diversity, abundance, and floral interactions differed between Cloud Forest, Garden, and Oak Forest on …

Las Interacciones Entre La Migración Y El Sistema Alimentario Globalizado En Oaxaca, México, Abby Dryden

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En este artículo tiene como guía tres preguntas: 1. ¿Cómo interactúa el sistema alimentario globalizado con la migración interna en Oaxaca y entre Oaxaca y los Estados Unidos? 2. ¿Qué impacto el proceso de globalización tiene para el sistema alimentario y para las comunidades en Oaxaca? 3. ¿Cómo los temas de seguridad de comida y soberanía de alimentos están impactando Oaxaca? Esta investigación tiene lugar en Oaxaca, México porque estuve viviendo allí por tres meses y es un buen lugar para esta investigación en el contexto de la diversidad allí. Si bien es cierto que existe mucha información sobre el …

Regenerative Agriculture Framework For Island Ecosystems Using São Miguel As A Case Study, Mya Hunter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Context: Regenerative agriculture is a farming approach that uses soil health as the entry point to contribute to multiple objectives, such as improved nutrient cycling and climate regulation. Farmers can apply different practices to reach these objectives. The objectives and practices, however, are not equally relevant or applicable for farming systems on island ecosystems and the local context.

Objectives: The main objective of this paper, therefore, is to find out how solutions towards regenerative agriculture can be identified and evaluated as such that they result in meaningful advice for farmers on island ecosystems in order to mitigate the …

Laguncularia Racemosa Top-Layer Sediment Microorganism Makeup In Relation To Differing Levels Of Perceived Anthropogenic Impact In Bocas Del Drago, Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Gabrielle Glendening

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As mangrove forests are destroyed by human factors across the earth, many crucial ecological processes that take place in these systems of trees are obstructed. One of the most important roles played by mangroves is their ability to sequester carbon in the sediment, as this storage of carbon helps diminish atmospheric warming. Many sediment microorganisms help in this process of carbon sequestration and play various other vital roles in mangrove ecosystems. Microorganisms in marine sediments can be used to assess the health of the surrounding environment. Past research has found significant differences in sediment microorganism composition, abundance, and diversity in …

The Viability Of Traditional Portuguese Olive Groves In The Alentejo Region Under A Sustainable Development Framework, Sydney Soloway

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Portugal became self-sufficient in olive oil production in 2014 and produces 150% of its needs, which makes Portugal the world’s fourth-largest exporter (DeAndreis, 2022). Olive groves in Portugal were once estimated to be 70-80% low-input traditional type, but rapid intensification toward a predominantly intensive mode of agriculture has been extremely fast (Beaufoy, 2001, p. 22; Silveira et al., 2018, p. 248). The Alentejo region, despite its dry Mediterranean climate and a tradition of extensive, multi-functional agricultural systems, is now home to 85% of Portugal’s olive groves and responsible for 77% of the country’s olive oil production (Dawson, 2019; Silveira et …

Orb-Weaver Diversity And Niche Partitioning In Ecuador’S Amazonian Foothills: What Spiders Can Reveal About Tree Fall Gaps, Streams, And Cultivated Areas, Riley Endries

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As abundant predators at the top of arthropod food chains, spiders are excellent bioindicators. Araneae is a megadiverse and extremely understudied order, especially in the tropics. This study aims to investigate the diversity of orb-weaver spiders across a disturbance gradient and variety of habitat types as well as their microhabitat preferences and potential niche partitioning. Spider collection was performed on spiders of the families Araneidae, Tetragnathidae, and Theridiosomatidae in Sumak Kawsay in Situ biological reserve in the lower elevation cloud forest of Ecuador’s Andean foothills. Spiders and webs were observed and analyzed from primary and secondary forest tree fall gaps, …

“Hadithi Ya Matunda”: The Informal Fruit Economy On Unguja Island: A Study Of The Livelihoods Of Smallholder Producers, Intermediaries, And Sellers, Daisy Kettle

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This is the story of fruit on Unguja Island. It illuminates the livelihoods of farmers, intermediaries, and sellers and each of their roles in the island’s fruit commodity chain. Linkages between these actors are known to play increasingly important roles in agricultural economies across the world due to their ability to create “multiplier effects” through networks of non-farm income opportunities (Wineman, 2020). Through interviews with 19 Zanzibaris who work in this trade network, I learned about the intricacies of these networks. My data revealed that the fruit flow chain on Unguja creates a network of extensive backward and forward economic …

How Elevation Affects Epiphyte Distribution: An Analysis In Epiphyte Distribution Changes At Different Elevations And Tree Strata In Santa Lucia Cloud Forest Reserve, Ecuador, Nicole L. Melnick

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Cloud forests are unique ecosystems due to their tropical nature, high elevations, and extremely high presence of epiphytes that serve many important roles for the ecosystem’s biotic and abiotic components. As epiphytes can make up anywhere from one-quarter (Foster 2001) to a half (Gómez González et al. 2017) of all local plant species in cloud forests, it is essential to understand how their habitat distributions change with elevation and whether climate change will have a significant effect on that. This study used observational survey methods to record the amount of monocots (separately counted bromeliads and orchids), dicots, ferns, and percent …

Arthropod Assemblages At The Intersection Of Epiphyte And Soil Habitats: An Assessment Of Understory Level Nonvascular Epiphyte Communities And Their Connectivity Within A Tropical Montane Rainforest, David “Max” Jones

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Canopy arthropods communities represent a disproportionate amount of global species richness (Stuntz 2001). Understanding arthropod composition and connectivity of lower epiphyte communities is important in understanding how canopy arthropods communities are formed and will respond to change (Floren and Linsenmair 1998). As such this study examined arthropod assemblages living within nonvascular epiphyte communities (epiphyte mats) living directly upon lower trunk regions of 24 trees in a tropical montane rain forest within the Santa Lucia Nature Reserve in Pichincha, Ecuador. Trees were assessed for size, epiphyte diversity, and epiphyte coverage before arthropod sampling within the epiphyte mats. Soil assessments were taken …

The Nesting Behavior Of Russet-Backed Oropendola On Sumak Allpa, Ecuador: An Analysis Of Nest Construction And Interactions With Competing Species, Claire Molina

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Nests are the literal place of birth of bird species; they are incredibly important in the survival and reproduction of populations. Therefore, nesting behavior is a gateway into the lives and success of the animals. With the degradation of natural landscapes due to human activity, there is more of a need to monitor these nests to ensure healthy inhabitants. The Russet-backed Oropendola (Psarocolius angustifrons) creates unique, pendulous nests that are subject to piracy, parasitism, and predation; as well as weather phenomenon’s such as wind and rainstorms. This study describes the nest construction behavior, nest materials and nest architecture by collecting …

Observational Study Of Woolly Monkey Behavior And Vocalizations: Behavioral Time Allotment And Vocalization Habits Of A Small Population Of Poeppig’S Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix Lagotricha Poeppigii) In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Marina Smith-Hanke

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Poeppig’s woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha poeppigii), a species of primate native to the Amazonian regions of western Brazil, eastern Ecuador, and northeastern Peru, is classified as endangered by the IUCN. These large, frugivorous primates are threatened by habitat loss and climate change as a result of human interference. Deforestation, hunting, petroleum mining, and illegal trafficking are all huge threats to this species. As a result of these pressures, their populations have decreased by at least 30% over the past three generations. However, as keystone seed dispersers, they are essential for Amazonian ecosystem health; without their seed dispersal services, a loss …

Tree To Tree: Phylogenetics Of Diverse Anura Using Portable Lab Equipment: Primer Optimization, Bioinformatic Pipeline, And Phylogenetic Analyses Reveal Potential New Species And Ability To Identify Evolutionary Relationships In A Hyper Diverse Anura Clade Using Nanopore Sequencing, Elinor Sterner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Corredor Llanganates-Sangay is an extremely significant region for conservation, coined a “gift to the earth” by the World Wildlife Fund. Understanding amphibians species and populations is key due to their roles as hyper sensitive bioindicators. In recent years, portable sequencing equipment (Mini PCR thermocyclers, Oxford Nanopore Technology’s MinION sequencer, etc) make genetic data collection in remote areas possible, greatly increasing potential for conservation genetics and genomics. This study uses portable equipment to sequence two mitochondrial loci in 104 Anuran samples collected in four sites in the Corridor and presents phylogenies of each gene as well as a concatenated phylogeny. …

Treatments Of Cyanobacteria On Mariculture Sponges In Jambiani, Tanzania, Sally Thornton-White

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since 2009, Marine Cultures, an NGO, has explored sponge farming in Jambiani to develop secure and sustainable livelihoods for the community. While sponge farming provides economic opportunity for an industry that functions within ecological boundaries, it faces unique issues that threaten its success. As climate change increases global water temperatures, cyanobacteria are causing increased death rates among mariculture sponges. Mitigating these negative effects with sustainable and reliable solutions can help Marine Cultures grow their positive impact. Alternative methods for mitigating cyanobacteria growth were tested during three study phases. Phase 1 tested how sponge health and algae growth responds to being …

Creating Sustainable Biofuels Using Essential Oil Distillery Leaf Waste Near Vohimana Reserve, Ashley Cohen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Like most of Madagasacar’s population, people around Vohimana Reserve rely on traditional fuels like firewood and charcoal for cooking and heating. As a result, the region is facing deforestation, which poses a threat to biodiversity and the livelihoods of local populations. A local essential oil distillery was created by the NGO L’Homme et L’Environnement as a sustainable income generator to combat deforestation and protect biodiversity. The distillery produces leaf biomass that can be mixed with binding agent(s) and transformed into biofuel as a sustainable alternative to traditional fuels. 14 biofuels were created by combining distillery leaf biomass and various percent …

The Role Of Frugivorous Birds As Seed Dispersers: Feeding Selection And Preference Of Madagascar’S Avian Frugivores In Analamazaotra Forest, Thaddeus Bashaw

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Madagascar is a country rich in floral and faunal diversity. However, anthropogenic habitat destruction and climate change increasingly threaten its biodiversity. Endozoochorous plants that dependent on frugivory for seed dispersal are under threat due to increasing rates of localized extinctions of frugivorous lemurs, the primary seed dispersers of the island. While lemurs are the islands most abundant frugivores, other frugivorous vertebrates like birds and bats likely play a significant role in seed dispersal, although this role is still poorly understood. This study, conducted in Analamazaotra forest, compares the rates of visitation and consumption of six endemic fruiting tree species by …

¿Cuál Es El Futuro Del Sistema Alimentario En Argentina? El Rol De Los Talleres De Alimentación Sana, Segura Y Soberana Del Área De Alimentación De La Utt En La Lucha Por La Agroecología Y La Soberanía Alimentaria, Gabriela Nahm

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En 2022, con el contexto de la pandemia COVID-19, la crisis climática, la guerra Russo-Ucraniana y la crisis económica, el mundo ha visto los mayores precios de los alimentos en la historia, desproporcionadamente afectando los países y las poblaciones más vulnerables. En los dos lados de la malnutrición, ambos niveles de hambre y de obesidad están aumentando. Es decir que el mundo está en una crisis alimentaria. Si esta crisis existe por el mundo, Argentina y su sistema alimentario hegemónico, controlado por las empresas multinacionales, no puede ser excluido; de hecho, este sistema es uno que produce hambre y que …

El Parque De La Papa Y El Centro Internacional De La Papa: Un Caso De Estudio De Una Colaboración Única Para La Conservación De Diversidad Biocultural, Molly Orr

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El Parque de la Papa, un territorio biocultural indígena en Cusco, Perú, es un sitio de conservación in situ de variedades de papas nativas apoyado por la ONG Asociación ANDES. En 2004, entró en un convenio con el Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP) para la repatriación, restauración y seguimiento de las papas bajo el cual 410 variedades de papa fueron devueltas al Parque. El convenio ha formado la base para una relación continua entre CIP y el Parque; han desarrollado capacitaciones, investigaciones participativas e intercambios de conocimientos científicos y tradicionales. La colaboración entre CIP y el Parque es un …

Caviar Of The Pacific: Palolo Fishing Today And Its Association With Coral Reef Health, Emma Letti Lee

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Palolo is a traditional delicacy of Samoa. It is the reproductive part of a marine worm that is released twice a year, October and November in Samoa, making palolo season a culturally significant time. Coral reefs, the palolo worm’s habitat, is under a plethora of environmental threats, which is an extremely prevalent concern for Pacific Islanders. Hundreds of palolo harvesters walking on corals twice a year adds extra pressure on coral reefs. Despite these vulnerabilities, prices of palolo are soaring year by year, while there is little to no research about the palolo worm and documentation of current harvesting practices …

What Makes Mad Honey “Mad”? An Investigation Into The Obsession Of The Himalayan Wild Cliff Honey, Codi Farmer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mad honey is a rare variety of cliff honey found in the mountainous regions of Turkey and Nepal and has been harvested by Indigenous groups for centuries. In Nepal, it is found on high-hanging cliffs that people risk their lives to face, but what makes this honey so special to cause generations of Nepalis to brave the formidable heights? Through a series of reading primary and secondary sources, watching first-hand accounts of honey hunting, and interviewing honey hunters, filmmakers, authors, and laypeople alike, I work to find the answer to the puzzling question – what makes mad honey "mad"? In …

A Case Study Investigating Perceptions Of The Covid-19 Vaccine In Cato Manor And Chesterville, Caitlin Chan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Despite countries all over the world transitioning to life post COVID-19, there are still many aspects of the pandemic that remain controversial and hot topics of debate. Perhaps among one of the most debated subjects is the question of whether vaccinations are necessary and if they truly had an impact on eliminating the virus. The concept of vaccine hesitancy has become a growing concern and threatens the health of communities around the world.

This project employed a mixed-methodology research design to investigate attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine constructed by community members living in the townships of Cato Manor and Chesterville. …

Microplastics, The Environment, And Reproductive Health: How Is The Accumulation Of Microplastics In Our Environment And Bodies Impacting Reproductive Health?, Katherine Hayward

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As global trends in both production and consumption of plastics continue to evolve, the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of microplastic particles in our everyday lives follow suit. This increasingly relevant problem has only recently been explored in the context of global health, and more specifically, reproductive health. Along with this steady increase in plastics and our exposure to them, researchers have separately observed adverse patterns in reproductive health. The chemicals involved throughout the microplastic life cycle may be playing a key role in these simultaneous patterns. With the aid of previous studies and publications on microplastics, exposure pathways, endocrine disruptors, and …

Aquatic Diversity In A Changing Tropical Andean Glacierized Catchment: Macroinvertebrates Reveal Possible Important Consequences To The Chimborazo Region As Glaciers Recede And The Climate Continues To Change, Tanner Thomas

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Tropical Andean glaciers are retreating rapidly, and their disappearance will have drastic consequences for the people and ecosystems that depend on them. While they have begun to receive the attention they deserve in scientific literature, much is still not known. Majority of these investigations have taken place on the Volcán Antisana, while other important glacierized systems, like the Volcán Chimborazo have received little attention. This investigation aimed to a) evaluate the possible effects of glacier loss and climate change on aquatic ecosystems by comparing glacial meltwater, non-glacial and mixed streams, and b) to evaluate the effects of pasture intensity on …

“Somos Un Pueblo Fumigado”: Un Análisis De La Lucha Contra La Fumigación Y Sistema De Agronegocios En La Provincia De Buenos Aires, Samuel Brooks

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación estudia el movimiento contra el sistema de monocultivo de soja transgénica, la fumigación con “agrotóxicos,” y los grandes agronegocios en la provincia de Buenos Aires. Con la información de tres entrevistas y una visita a un encuentro de habitantes de pueblos fumigados, examino los diferentes “marcos” que el movimiento tiene para describir las formas en que ellos expresan el problema actual, las soluciones que proponen, sus métodos para motivar a la gente, y la perspectiva del movimiento en general. También, incorporo perspectivas académicas para profundizar el análisis de las diferentes áreas de discurso en el movimiento y definir …

Shinetagantsi: Un Caso De La Alimentación Materna E Infantil Y Medicina Intercultural Durante Lactancia En La Comunidad Nativa De Palotoa Teparo, Layne Scopano

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Con un enfoque antropológico, esta investigación analiza las percepciones del cuidado desde los sistemas médicos occidentales y la medicina tradicional de las madres de la comunidad nativa de Palotoa Teparo en la Amazonía peruana en lo que respecta a la nutrición durante la lactancia. Los resultados de este estudio, obtenidos a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas y observación directa e indirecta, permiten describir el estado nutricional de las madres de Palotoa Teparo durante la lactancia y su relación con la nutrición infantil, señalar las prácticas de salud, tanto occidental como tradicional, relevantes para el estado nutricional de las madres y los …

Good Cop/Bad Cop: A Comparative Analysis Of Affiliative And Aggressive Behaviors By Adult Female And Male Olive Baboons With Infants At Randilen Wildlife Management Area, Tanzania, Jesse Elop

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigated the infant-directed behaviors of adult male and female olive baboons in Randilen Wildlife Management Area in April of 2022. The objectives were 1) To determine the difference between olive baboon males and females in frequency and duration of listed behaviors towards infants; 2) To classify the interactions of adult male and adult female olive baboons with infants as either primarily affiliative or primarily aggressive; 3) To determine the frequency of selected behaviors at different reproductive phases (lactation, estrus, neutral, indeterminant) amongst female olive baboons towards infants. A single baboon troop in Randilen Wildlife Management Area was observed …

A Quantitative Study Of Orchids And Their Proximate Environments Over An Elevational Gradient On The Northern Slope Of Montagne D’Ambre, Hazel Schrader

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research investigated change in orchid populations and their proximate environments on the Northern slope of Montagne d’Ambre, a subhumid forest in Northern Madagascar. Orchid density, way of life (epiphyte or terrestrial), phenology, and associations were recorded over 100m elevation gradients and between forest types (primary, secondary, dry, and humid forests at the same altitude). Additionally, orchid preferences for certain heights in the forest and DBH of host trees were analyzed. The establishment of 50X20m plots in 100m elevation gradients combined with ground survey yielded significant results demonstrating change along with elevation as well as forest types. Orchid density increased …

The Relationship Between Substrate Composition, Community Structure And Feeding Preferences Of Parrot Fishes (Scaridae) In Anmardub, Guna Yala Coastal Reefs, Caitlin Amman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reefs are important marine ecosystems, as they support biodiversity and generate buffer zones, yet their abundance is incredibly limited globally. One of the main threats that coral reefs face is excessive macroalgal coverage, which limits sunlight from reaching corals, and thus, limits the energy that can reach them. Parrot fish (Scaridae) are keystone herbivores, as they consume macroalgae growing on corals, which aids in reef survivability. While there is previous research on the abundances, sizes, and feeding habits of Scaridae species in the Caribbean, there is no published research on how community structure and feeding preferences of parrot fishes …

Comparing Amphibian Species Diversity And Abundance In Natural Forest And Cacao Agroforest At Finca La Magnita, Changuinola, Bocas Del Toro, Panamá Lake Barrett, Lake Barrett

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Amphibians are currently undergoing rapid and drastic biodiversity loss worldwide, largely due to the disease Chytridiomycosis. Because of this, efforts to conserve amphibian biodiversity are urgent and have been given increasing importance. However, studies investigating the effectiveness of agroforestry systems, a commonly used agricultural method in which trees and other elements of forests are retained on land used for agriculture, for amphibian conservation are uncommon. As a result, the capacity of agroforests to serve as a tool for amphibian conservation is unclear. To determine if agroforests can serve as a habitat for amphibians and a tool for their conservation, this …

Water: The Gift And The Curse: A Climate Change Preparedness Study On An Increased Rainfall Scenarios In The Yunguilla Cloud Forest, Ecuador, Emilia Dick Fiora Del Fabro

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this project was to try and better understand the risks posed to the Yunguilla community in an increased rainfall climate change scenario. While climate modeling is not exact, many models do predict increased rain and storm intensity in this area (“Explainer…”, 2018). This project studies erosion risk, and the potential damage to crops through a series of experiments and mapping.

The first experiment used three hydration percentages 50, 75 and 100, to water two crop types, Fragaria and Caspium, and monitored plant health to see the water's effect. The hydraulic stress testing did not model an increased …