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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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- Environmental Studies (3)
- Environmental Education (2)
- Alpine cattle grazing (1)
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- Australian Wet Tropics (1)
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Articles 1 - 20 of 20
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Differences In The Diversity Of Frogspecies Between Sierra Lloronaand El Valle, Panama, Kei Okabe Thurber
Differences In The Diversity Of Frogspecies Between Sierra Lloronaand El Valle, Panama, Kei Okabe Thurber
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Panama is home to the greatest diversity of species in all of Central America. It is home to 174 species of frogs, 35 of which are endemic to Panama. Frogs are a vital part of many ecosystems. They maintain insect populations and act as food sources for larger predators. Their job of maintaining insect populations is essential to curbing the spread of diseases. Additionally, scientists have found chemical compounds in the skin of frogs that can be used to treat pain and prevent infections. The main threat to the majority of frogs is the deadly fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), or …
Comparing Disease Prevalence In Hard Corals At Four Different Reefs Near The Island Of Narganá In The Guna Yala Comarca Of Panamá, Connor Hinton
Comparing Disease Prevalence In Hard Corals At Four Different Reefs Near The Island Of Narganá In The Guna Yala Comarca Of Panamá, Connor Hinton
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Coral reefs harbor much of the world’s known marine biodiversity. For a number of reasons, coral reefs are becoming increasingly threatened. Large portions of the world’s reefs have already been lost, and the number of degrading reefs is constantly on the rise. One cause for the destruction of coral reefs are coral diseases, ultimately causing coral mortality. With the death of corals, a key species is lost, endangering the entire reef ecosystem. Documenting the presence of such diseases could be useful in assessing current reef health and ameliorating the growing threat of coral diseases. In this project, 18 40m2 belt …
Evaluating The Progress Of A Mangrove Reforestation Project On Isla Galeta, Colon, Abigail Hope Outterson
Evaluating The Progress Of A Mangrove Reforestation Project On Isla Galeta, Colon, Abigail Hope Outterson
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Just off the Atlantic coast of Panama, a dynamic and self-renewing ecosystem takes advantage of the tropical climate and swampy conditions. Guarding Punta Galeta’s shores since before it was a U.S. navy base in the 1930’s, mangroves that have persisted here for centuries now draw scientists and tourists alike from all over the world to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Center. Once viewed as unproductive, distasteful environments, mangroves are increasingly recognized worldwide as critical habitat for endangered and commercially significant species, as well as for their ecological and aesthetic value. Uniquely adapted to survive in saline environments, mangroves combine methods of …
Is The Smartphone Smart In Kathmandu?, Seth Bird
Is The Smartphone Smart In Kathmandu?, Seth Bird
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This is the extensive study of the smartphone in the developing country of Nepal, specifically the Kathmandu valley. Throughout my research I conducted various interviews with businesses, Tibetan refugees, and Nepali millennials (18yrs-33yrs) with the goal of identifying how the smartphone is used and understood. I chose the Kathmandu valley as my main area of research because the usage of smartphones in rural Nepal is extremely limited, and the valley represents the economic hub where progressive thinking flourishes. As a main objective I sought to understand how, if at all, the smartphone is used differently between Nepal and America. All …
Ecosystem Services In The Wet Tropics: A Literature Review And Economic Valuation, Alyson Cheney
Ecosystem Services In The Wet Tropics: A Literature Review And Economic Valuation, Alyson Cheney
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
The present study can be broken down into two sections. First, it created a literature review on the current body of knowledge regarding ecosystem services in the Australian Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The second portion of the study was an economic valuation determining how much residents that live in the Wet Tropics value the benefits provided to them through ecosystem services. The literature review found that there were large gaps in the present body of knowledge. Biophysical studies made up the vast majority of the literature and very few ecosystem service economic valuations have been carried out for the …
Economic Equity In The Annapurna Conservation Area: Effects Of Government And Community-Based Organizations, Hanna Seltz
Economic Equity In The Annapurna Conservation Area: Effects Of Government And Community-Based Organizations, Hanna Seltz
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This research addresses the impact of community-based and government organizations on rural livelihoods in protected areas (PAs) by investigating whether benefits of such organizations involved in conservation and community development reach more marginalized members of communities in the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) of Nepal. I conduct a case study focusing on two villages within ACA, Kagbeni and Phalyek, examining how local groups interact with each other and with the government in trying to promote equity through the ACA Project primarily through indepth, unstructured interviews. Locally-created and locally-based groups in these communities appear to be successful in managing local resources and …
River Health In Puyo, Ecuador The Use Of Macroinvertebrates As Bioindicators Of Water Quality And Alternatives To Chlorine For Whitening Clothes In The Puyo River Watershed, Allison Rowe
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Fresh water is an important resource in Puyo, Ecuador, a city named after the Kichwa word for ‘cloudy’ in reference to its overcast weather. However, the Puyo River watershed is the most contaminated in all of Pastaza Province. The objective of this investigation was first to evaluate the health of the Puyo River using macroinvertebrate analyses and measurements of chlorine concentrations, temperature, pH, turbidity, velocity, and flow rate. The second objective was to learn about practices used to whiten clothes in Puyo and perceptions of water quality in order to understand the magnitude of bleach pollution and the population’s awareness …
Value-Based Land Management Conflict: Alpine Cattle Grazing In Victoria , Matthew Luciani
Value-Based Land Management Conflict: Alpine Cattle Grazing In Victoria , Matthew Luciani
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
In Victoria, the practice of cattle grazing in alpine areas has shaped land, culture, and history since the early nineteenth century. Characterized by early gold mining, grazing, and skiing tourism, the Victorian Alps eventually seized the attention of conservationists who understood its ecological significance and need for protection, with beginnings of an Alpine National Park idea in 1969 (Johnson, 1974, p. 180). Not until 1989, however, did the park enter into existence, meeting much resistance from farmers and graziers along the way (Mosley, 1999, p. 80). Today, however, the region remains contested between two very distinct groups of people: environmentalists …
Improving Social Resilience In Response To Climate Change In Far North Queensland And Torres Strait, Katie Costantini
Improving Social Resilience In Response To Climate Change In Far North Queensland And Torres Strait, Katie Costantini
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Currently, most approaches to decision-making in response to climate change have been based on biophysical knowledge, even though climate change is an inherently social dilemma. Social resilience involves communities’ ability to mitigate and prepare for the effects of climate change and recover to an improved state. Professor Allan Dale and his colleagues at the Cairns Institute at James Cook University developed a framework for social resilience based on four attributes: (1) Economic Viability, (2) Community Knowledge, Aspirations, and Capacity, (3) Community Vitality, and (4) Governance. They are using this framework to evaluate and monitor Far North Queensland and Torres Strait …
Environmental Education In Amman, Sara Lyrnn Green
Environmental Education In Amman, Sara Lyrnn Green
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This research addresses environmental education in public and private schools in Amman, Jordan and what is being done to expand environmental awareness by both schools and the government. This study’s methodology is comprised of interviews with teachers and government employees as well as analysis of material culture. The research finds that environmental education is priority for schools and the government, but that more can be done in expanding environmental awareness. This study points out barriers to environmental education in schools with the hope that these will be addressed and improved.
Land Rights Among Subsistence Farmers: An Examination Of Madagascar’S Land Reform And Prevailing Systems Of Land Tenure In Betafo, Taylor Crowl
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
In Madagascar, legal systems of land tenure have been inaccessible for the vast majority of the rural population. This has stranded millions of subsistence farmers in a sense of insecurity, as they lack legal rights for the property that they have farmed for generations. Madagascar’s land reform, launched in 2005, attempted to change these exclusionary tenure practices. This reform —known as the Plan National Foncier—created land certificates and local land offices in an attempt to make legal land tenure financially, geographically, and logistically accessible to the local population. This study discusses the successes, failures, and unforeseen consequences of Madagascar’s land …
Mitigating Climate-Induced Migration In Rural Morocco: Improving Sustainable Development To Address Socio-Economic And Environmental Causes Of Migration, Jesse Meisenhelter
Mitigating Climate-Induced Migration In Rural Morocco: Improving Sustainable Development To Address Socio-Economic And Environmental Causes Of Migration, Jesse Meisenhelter
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Morocco unique geography has made the country vulnerable to climate-induced migration (CIM) for three reasons. First, Moroccois located in a region identified as the highest vulnerability to climate change (IPCC, 2014). Second, Morocco’s economy remains dependent on natural resources due to a history of neo-liberal development and agriculture policies (Davis, 2006). These policies’ failure to diversify and develop the economy in rural regions has made Morocco the most geographically inequitable country in the MENA region (World Bank). Lastly, located just 14 km from Spain, Morocco has a 50-year history of migrating to Europe for work and opportunity (Eddouada, 2014). This …
Resisting For The River: Local Struggle Against The Proposed Saptakoshi River Dam, Janika Oza
Resisting For The River: Local Struggle Against The Proposed Saptakoshi River Dam, Janika Oza
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
On the Saptakoshi River in Nepal, the proposed construction of a hydropower dam may represent progress for parts of the country but loss for local communities. This paper draws on the experiences of people living in villages by the river who will be affected if the proposed high dam is built. By using qualitative information generated from interviews with villagers, the paper is an ethnographic account of the experiences and perspectives of the local populations that will be most directly affected by the dam. It was found that most subjects interviewed believe that the high dam would cause extreme environmental, …
The Power Of China: An Analysis Of China’S Energy Sources And The Case For Clean Energy, Lauren Vunderink
The Power Of China: An Analysis Of China’S Energy Sources And The Case For Clean Energy, Lauren Vunderink
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
China’s energy demands have been growing exponentially since the early 1980s, impacting the global environment and economy. China is already the world’s largest producer and consumer of energy, and as it continues to urbanize and develop its electricity demand is projected to more than double by 2040. China’s energy consumption will not continue its rapid growth forever; its population growth and energy demand are expected to level off by 2040. While mostly relying on the increasing amounts of coal, oil, and natural gas, the Chinese government aims for renewable resources to satisfy 15% of total energy consumption by 2020. That …
Energizing Europe: The Geopolitics Of Energy Security And Energy Diversification In The European Union, Gabriel Alfredo Uribe
Energizing Europe: The Geopolitics Of Energy Security And Energy Diversification In The European Union, Gabriel Alfredo Uribe
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Europe has always had an interesting relationship with Russia, be it social, political, or economic. From the days of the Cold War, when there was the ideological battle of communism versus capitalism, with the alliance of NATO representing a front against the Iron Curtain, certain remnants of this dynamic have still survived. Russia has not always had the best of relations with the European Union (EU), which has not made it easy for the EU to have fully functioning foreign relations with them. This is problematic specifically because of the importance that Russia has on EU energy security, as it …
Population, Progeny And Power: Analyzing Population Growth, Family Planning And The Factors That Contribute To High Child Bearing Rates In Kizanda Village, Tanzania, Jade Enright
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
The population growth rate is reaching an astounding level in Tanzania and Eastern Africa. It is applying increasing pressure on things like social services, land availability, job opportunities, conservation and localized resources. This study looks at the perceptions of both men and women surrounding social and environmental factors contributing to the high population growth rate. It looks more specifically at factors including childbearing, birth control methods and their effectiveness, and how the birth rate correlates with changing quality of life. This study was conducted in Kizanda Village in the West Usambara Mountains of Northern Tanzania, a region following the trend …
Mama Nyani: A Study Of The Correlation Of Behaviors And Habitat In Papio Anubis, Madison Beran
Mama Nyani: A Study Of The Correlation Of Behaviors And Habitat In Papio Anubis, Madison Beran
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
As the population in Tanzania continues to grow more people are in search of jobs. In Northern Tanzania a village named Mto Wa Mbu is conveniently located directly adjacent to Lake Manyara National Park. With its good location and weather for crops, many people have moved there in hopes to earn some money from the 1 million tourists that visit Tanzania per year. As more people move to Mto Wa Mbu the pressure between animals and the people has increased. With the national park directly across the street from housing both animals and people can easily access each other’s homes. …
Powering Rural Transformation: Solar Pv In Rural Uganda., Matt Piggins
Powering Rural Transformation: Solar Pv In Rural Uganda., Matt Piggins
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
The intent of this study was to understand the role that solar PV plays in the process of rural electrification, what barriers exist in the PV market, and how the Rural Electrification Agency is bringing down those barriers. Moreover, I sought to understand solar PV’s development impact in rural areas and how people in rural regions of Uganda are using the technology, especially those at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Additionally, I sought to understand if PV is a financially viable option for the rural poor or if it is only obtainable by the rural upper and middle class. …
Tabasará Libre: A Case Study Of Development And Indigenous Rights, Katharine Evans
Tabasará Libre: A Case Study Of Development And Indigenous Rights, Katharine Evans
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Since the 1960s, indigenous groups in Panama have been fighting to maintain their land and ways of life against the growing threat and reality of national development. This study uses the Barro Blanco Hydroelectric Power Project as a case study to examine the consequences of development and the ultimate role that development plays in indigenous marginalization and assimilation. Data was collected through interview, participatory observation, and outside research over the course of a three week period. Findings include the role the government, legislation, and the public have played in this fight.
Pollution In Stone Town’S Coastal Waters: An Assessment Of Environmental Influences On Fecal Contamination, Socorro Lopez
Pollution In Stone Town’S Coastal Waters: An Assessment Of Environmental Influences On Fecal Contamination, Socorro Lopez
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Urbanized areas in Tanzania, including Zanzibar Town on Unguja, are struggling to deal with the large amount of waste generated by growing populations and increasing tourist industries. In 2010, the waters surrounding Stone Town, a subsection of Zanzibar Town, were found to be highly polluted by fecal waste. This study attempted to determine whether pollution has lessened or worsened in the past four years. Furthermore, environmental components of the coastal area, particularly tides, were tested in order to determine whether they had an impact on pollution in the waters. Using the membrane filtration method, mean enterococci were quantified in two …