Spatial and temporal variation In greenhouse gas flux as affected by mowing on grasslands of hummocky terrain In Saskatchewan

Global climate change has been linked to the increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Mixedgrass Prairie of hummocky terrain in Saskatchewan is an understudied landscape contributing an unknown quantity of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to global climate change. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of topography and mowing on carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) flux and to correlate them with environmental and plant community characteristics. The study site was located in the Northern Mixedgrass Prairie of the Missouri Coteau near Macrorie, SK. April mowing and an unmowed control were imposed on six different landform elements. Carbon dioxide, CH4 and N2O were measured every 7-10 days from spring until fall for two years with closed, vented chambers. Soil physical characteristics, weather and plant community characteristics were measured. Landform element and mowing influenced the flux of all three gases in both sampling seasons. Soil CO2 flux ranged from 3.1 to 23.3 kg CO2-C ha-1 d-1 among the unmowed control plots and 3.6 to 26.4 kg CO2-C ha-1 d-1 after mowing. Soils were a net sink for CH4, consuming 1.4 to 4.4 g CH4-C ha-1 d-1 among the unmowed control plots and 1.8 to 4.1 g CH4-C ha-1 d-1 among the mowed plots. Nitrous oxide flux ranged from -0.25 to 1.17 g N2O-N ha-1 d-1 among the unmowed control plots and -0.20 to 1.51 g N2O-N ha-1 d-1 among the mowed plots. Greenhouse gas flux changed from year-to-year and within years. The greatest GHG flux rate occurred in the depression landform element. Mowing increased the positive flux of CO2 and N2O while increasing the negative flux of CH4. Species composition was correlated with soil water, topography, percentage litter cover and GHG flux rate. Overall, the Mixedgrass Prairie of Saskatchewan likely contributes very little to GHGs. Properly managed, the Mixedgrass Prairie has a well-balanced nutrient cycle that includes various GHGs. The grassland ecosystem plays a role in mitigating climate change by retaining carbon that would be released to the atmosphere with poor grazing management or the conversion to arable agriculture. Government agencies and the ranching industries could best mitigate GHG emissions of Mixedgrass Prairie in Saskatchewan by promoting the retention of above-ground plant material, increasing below-ground carbon sequestration and the avoidance of conversion to cropland

The Digital Revolution to Come: Photogrammetry in Archaeological Practice

The three-dimensional (3D) revolution promised to transform archaeological practice. Of the technologies that contribute to the proliferation of 3D data, photogrammetry facilitates the rapid and inexpensive digitization of complex subjects in both field and lab settings. It finds additional use as a tool for public outreach, where it engages audiences ranging from source communities to artifact collectors. But what has photogrammetry’s function been in advancing archaeological analysis? Drawing on our previous work, we review recent applications to understand the role of photogrammetry for contemporary archaeologists. Although photogrammetry is widely used as a visual aid, its analytical potential remains underdeveloped. Considering various scales of inquiry—graduating from objects to landscapes—we address how the technology fits within and expands existing documentation and data visualization routines, while evaluating the opportunity it presents for addressing archaeological questions and problems in innovative ways. We advance an agenda advocating that archaeologists move from proof-of concept papers toward greater integration of photogrammetry with research

EVALUATING GRADUATE STUDENT WRITING: DO STUDENTS WRITE FROM A STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE?

There is growing evidence supporting the use of strengths based approaches to serving families. Professionals can positively impact family outcomes by using strengths based language when interacting with families. The purpose of this study was to examine the nature with which graduate student clinicians write from a strengths perspective. Specifically, we explored whether first year graduate student clinicians in speech language pathology use strengths based/ability focused language when documenting observations of children's' communication and behavior during play. We created videos of typically developing children in natural environments and gathered narrative writing samples broken down by phrase (N = 693 phrases) from graduate student clinicians. Students (N =29) participated in each of two conditions (A- general prompt; B- clinic prompt). Using a coding system developed by the research team, we analyzed the nature with which the student clinicians included strengths based language in their written documentation. Our findings indicated that the student clinicians in the current study generally used more neutral, ability focused language (than deficit based language) in their writing. However, when the student clinicians were led to believe the child in the video was coming to the clinic for an evaluation, they used less strengths based language. Findings from this study provide valuable information about how first year graduate students write when documenting observations of child behavior and communication and may serve as a guidepost for how we design academic training programs with respect to clinical documentation. Additionally, these findings emphasize the importance of ensuring that clinical training mentors use strengths based practices across training sites