Life without the Beach: Projected Sea Level Rise and its Impact on Barrier Islands Along the East Coast, USA

As climate change is becoming a global issue, the impact of sea level rise is increasingly becoming a threat to humans, wildlife, infrastructure, and ecosystems. To evaluate the effects of sea level rise on barrier islands and coastal regions, we studied future projections of sea level rise at Ocean City and Assateague Island, Maryland. We hypothesize that the sea levels at Assateague and Ocean City will have different beach profiles, and will show different levels of flooding through the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) simulations. We measured beach profiles at four locations, two at Ocean City and two at Assateague Island, to view the current beach profiles and found that Ocean City reveals a smaller average change in elevation compared to Assateague. We also used a LiDAR Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of Ocean City and Assateague Island to run RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5 simulations using GIS to represent the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projected sea level rise for the year 2100. We found that Ocean City has higher predicted percentages of flooded land but smaller areas of flooded land compared to Assateague. These results indicate that significant areas of both Ocean City and Assateague Island will be flooded by 2100 regardless of which RCP simulation might be true. However, it is projected that the RCP 2.6 simulation is an underestimation of potential flooding and the future will more closely resemble the RCP 8.5 simulation if drastic precautions are not taken now. This will severely impact ecosystems, economies, and human life

Arthropod Abundance and Diversity in Restored Longleaf Pine Savannas at Abita Creek Flatwoods Preserve

The objective of this study is to determine whether changes in arthropod community structure in restored longleaf pine savannas corresponds to differences in vegetation structure often associated with burn frequency. Longleaf pine savannas are fire-maintained ecosystems characteristic of the southeastern United States and have experienced severe declines (around 97%) since European settlement. Changes in fire regime have been instrumental in the declines. Restoration of these ecosystems has involved reinstitution of periodic burnings to promote and maintain vegetative characteristics of the savannas. This study investigates trends in arthropod communities from areas heavily invaded by hardwood shrubs against those dominated by longleaf pines and associated vegetation. These data suggest that herb-dominated sites have higher overall diversity. While overall abundance differences were not found, significant differences have been detected at the order and family level, indicating that vegetation structure and periodic burning are important factors in maintaining arthropod communities characteristic of these savannas

Evaluation of Potential Wild Turkey Habitat in Eastern Illinois

Reestablishment of the wild turkey has been successful in the southern part of Illinois where large established tracts of woodland occur. However, turkeys are capable of surviving in areas with less forest cover, if food, nesting materials and protection are available. This project evaluated the potential turkey habitat of a 14-county area of eastern Illinois along the drainage of the Wabash River. Six potential release sites were selected and the habitat evaluated. In these areas, oak (Quercus spp.) and hickory (Carya spp.) were the dominant tree species. Disturbance from human populations was determined in each of the six areas, including the amount of roads and population densities. The Clark County area, in the region of Lincoln Trail State Park, appears to be the best release site, on the basis of amount of forest, forest edge and the availability of protection. Crawford and Clay county areas, which also contain sizable forest tracts should be considered as secondary sites

La violencia en la escuela : detección y prevención de conductas violentas

En las sociedades actuales, debemos reconocer que la violencia atraviesa todas las esferas, ya sea económica, social, política y cultural. Para el presente trabajo, se reconoce que las relaciones sociales son siempre relaciones de poder, y como tales, siempre se hallan en ellas condiciones de opresión, abuso de autoridad y discriminación. La violencia se presenta como un fenómeno cotidiano en las prácticas sociales, se llega a naturalizar, actuando de un modo desprevenido y sorpresivo, no sólo frente a los atentados contra la propiedad, la agresión física y simbólica que se muestra a diario en los medios masivos de comunicación, sino también en otras formas como servicios públicos deficientes, pobreza, marginalidad, adicciones, entre otros. La propuesta de este trabajo es que los docentes puedan volver visibles las prácticas violentas a las que están sujetas las relaciones sociales de sus alumnos, dentro y fuera de la escuela, reconociendo inicialmente sus propias prácticas, como posibles portadoras de violencia.Fil: De Cara, Graciela B.. Universidad Nacional de San Jua

Management by Trajectory: Improving Predictability for Airspace Operations

In the present-day National Airspace System, the air traffic management system attempts to predict the trajectory for each flight based on the flight plan and scheduled or controlled departure time. However, gaps in trajectory data and models, coupled with tactical control actions that are not communicated to automation systems or other stakeholders, lead to trajectory predictions that are less accurate than they could be. This affects traffic flow management performance. Management by Trajectory (MBT) is a NASA concept for air traffic management in which every flight operates in accordance with a 4D trajectory that is negotiated between the airspace user and the FAA to account for the airspace users goals while complying with NAS constraints. The primary benefit of MBT is an improvement in system performance due to increased trajectory predictability and stability, which result from managing traffic in all four dimensions (2D route, vertical, and time), ensuring that changes to the flights trajectory are incorporated into the assigned trajectory, and utilizing improved time or arrival control standards. Importantly, the performance improvements support increasing efficiency without increasing collision risk. This paper provides an overview of MBT and describes fast-time simulation results evaluating the safety, performance, and efficiency effects of MBT

Ambitious Student Seeks Valuable Internship: Will You Mentor Me?

How does a random email become a graduate student internship and what can be learned from the mentoring experience? What started as email correspondence from an MLS student seeking librarian mentors in her home state turned into meeting in person, and eventually an internship at University of Dubuque\u27s Charles C. Myers Library. Spring 2011 is the first time library staff have had the opportunity to welcome a MLS graduate student intern. The internship primarily focuses on information literacy, involving the student in a thriving, curriculum-integrated program that consists of over 500 class sessions per year, delivered by five librarians. Staff created a mutually-valuable experience, helping the student develop her professional voice. Presenters will share the planning process, including how communication and shared goals are key elements of a successful match. They will reflect on their learning and teaching experiences, sharing examples of personal and professional growth. Participants will engage in discussion of their own institutions\u27 mentoring practices, sharing ideas that can be applied broadly to develop interns, student workers, paraprofessionals, and librarians new to the profession. Many libraries may not have opportunities for MLS-level interns, so practical recommendations to support meaningful mentoring and valuable partnerships within any library instruction program will be discussed

Strengthening Urban Food Systems Through Extension Programming and Community Engagement: A Case Study of New Brunswick, New Jersey

Cooperative Extension (Extension) can, and in many cases already does, engage in well-rooted partnerships with urban audiences. Yet, it is important to recognize that there are many layers to the diversity that exists within urban audiences– there is no single “urban community.” This article presents a case study of food security programming in New Brunswick, New Jersey, including collaborations between Rutgers Cooperative Extension and multiple community organizations to illustrate important considerations for engaging in urban Extension initiatives. Specifically, challenges exist in identifying urban audiences, including those who are hidden, especially as the demographics of city residents can vary greatly within a single geographic area. Solutions include the development of deep community partnerships and creative engagement of university students, with the latter participating as both an audience to benefit from Extension programming and as partners in program implementation. Evaluating urban Extension programming can provide important information as to whether a particular program is meeting the needs of the target audience, but a challenge exists in distinguishing the impact of a single Extension program operating in what is often an ecosystem of programs addressing food insecurity in an urban area

Life long learning in rural areas: a report to the Countryside Agency

Lifelong Learning is a broad umbrella term which includes many different kinds of provision and different forms of learning. At its heart is formal learning, often classroom based, or involving paper and electronic media, undertaken within educational institutions such as colleges and universities. It may or may not lead to an award and it includes learning undertaken for vocational reasons as well as for general interest. It encompasses what are sometimes also known as adult education, continuing education, continuing professional development (cpd), vocational training and the acquisition of basic skills. It may also include work-based learning, and may overlap with post compulsory (post 16) education, i.e. with further education and higher education, but normally applies to all ‘adult learning’ i.e. by people over the age of 19, in particular those who are returning to study after completing their initial education. From the perspective of the individual learner, however, non-formal learning (organised, systematic study carried on outside the framework of the formal system) is also important. This forms a continuum with informal learning that occurs frequently in the process of daily living, sometimes coincidentally for example through information media or through interpretive provision (such as at museums or heritage sites ). This report focuses on those aspects of adult learning which are directly affected by government policies, and thus of prime concern for rural proofing