(Socio-)ecological tools and insights for a changing climate

In one way or another, climate change is impacting all social, economic, and ecological systems on the planet. Scientists worldwide warn of catastrophic and irreversible damage to social and ecological systems in absence of rapid, far-reaching, and unprecedented shifts in energy and land use. Yet, many social systems continue to operate business-as-usual, and decision-making across multiple levels of social organization continues to neglect the use of scientific evidence to minimize long-term risk. Contemporary biodiversity losses are occurring on scales that surpass the major extinction events in geological records, threatening the loss of critical ecosystem services, such as pollination, that underpin myriad facets of human societies as well as ecosystem resilience. In my dissertation, I call into question conventional lethal sampling approaches for bumble bees, an economically and ecologically important pollinator group, and simultaneously advance non-lethal techniques. Additionally, with aims to advance climate action in Missouri, I investigate how state-level decision-makers and land-use experts are thinking about climate resilience in the context of rural Missouri. More specifically, in chapter one, I explore how the use of lethal sampling, a traditional entomological sampling approach, has changed over time with evidence of numerous declining bumble bee populations. Global declines of bumble bees are welldocumented and have spurred widespread conservation efforts. However, lethal sampling continues to serve as a common entomological practice despite conservation concern. In collaboration with a research team from the Galen lab, I review 411 bumble bee-related publications from 1970-2019 alongside records from over 230,000 pinned bumble bee pinned specimens to discern whether lethal sampling has decreased with heightened conservation awareness and availability of novel non-lethal sampling methods. Our literature review shows that lethal sampling of bumble bees has instead kept pace with publication output. Interestingly, the highest rates of lethal sampling are found in papers demonstrating conservation awareness and persist despite low scholarly impact in comparison to papers based on non-lethal alternatives. Facing numerous pressures, vulnerable bumble bee populations may be less resilient to traditional sampling norms than broadly assumed. We highlight non-lethal sampling alternatives and underscore the need for proactive, empirically informed sampling guidelines that reflect the conservation needs of bumble bee pollinators. In chapter two, I review advances in acoustic monitoring technologies for bumble bees and discuss potential applications. Acoustics show promise for use in bumble bee investigations, as bumble bees create a range of distinguishable sounds while flying, sonicating (buzzing on flowers to eject pollen) and interacting within the colony, making them amenable for acoustical surveys. Acoustics offer an alternative sampling approach that is affordable, scalable, and non-destructive, with potential to augment conservation and agricultural practices. Application of AMT to investigate bumble bees is still nascent in development, and improvements are needed across all stages of the AMT process, from sensor technologies and data transfer to audio classification and user interfaces. I review the sound-producing activities of bumble bees, highlighting extant research and underscoring opportunities for further investigation. I conclude by reiterating the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration between ecologists and computer scientists to monitor and manage species of conservation concern. In chapter three, I advance acoustic applications in bumble bee research using a combination of field work and literature surveys. Leveraging technological advancements that allow for remote monitoring and automated processing of information, such as acoustics, has been identified as a key next step for pollinator research. I test whether the acoustics of bumble bee flight buzzes can be used to track morphological traits and phenological phases of foragers throughout the season. I used flight cage experiments and a literature survey to extend data on the relationship between the fundamental frequency of flight buzzes and body size across castes and species. I then use these data to test whether acoustics can track caste size dimorphisms across species and variation in intraspecific worker size. Next, I acoustically monitored wild bumble bee colonies in subalpine and alpine ecosystems in Colorado, United States, where I corroborated acoustic data with in-person observations to distinguish phenological phases (queens only vs. queens and workers) of the colonies. I demonstrate that remotely monitoring bumble bee colonies with acoustics can provide large datasets with cues for different morphological and phenological features of the colony and discuss potential applications. In chapter four, I investigate climate resilience in rural Missouri. Rural areas of the United States -- approximately 97 percent of the total land area -- often lag urban areas in the implementation of climate adaptation practices. Understanding how perspectives vary within and among actors in the rural land use decision-making ecosystem can help to identify catalysts and constraints for climate change adaptation planning and action. I conducted semi-structured interviews with 23 experts -- policymakers, state/federal agency professionals, non-profit organization leadership, and researchers -- at the nexus of rural land use, agriculture, natural resources, and conservation in Missouri to elucidate conceptualizations of climate resilience. I aligned interview questions with NOAA's Steps to Resilience to investigate participants' perceptions of the major vulnerabilities of rural communities and landscapes, threats to rural vitality, and potential concrete steps for making rural Missouri more resilient in the face of climate change. I then discuss examples of climate resilience in Missouri and conclude with suggestions for potential next steps towards climate resilience in the state.Includes bibliographical references

Stability criteria for the consumption and exchange of essential resources

Models of consumer effects on a shared resource environment have helped clarify how the interplay of consumer traits and resource supply impact stable coexistence. Recent models generalize this picture to include the exchange of resources alongside resource competition. These models exemplify the fact that although consumers shape the resource environment, the outcome of consumer interactions is context-dependent: such models can have either stable or unstable equilibria, depending on the resource supply. However, these recent models focus on a simplified version of microbial metabolism where the depletion of resources always leads to consumer growth. Here, we model an arbitrarily large system of consumers governed by Liebig’s law, where species require and deplete multiple resources, but each consumer’s growth rate is only limited by a single one of these resources. Resources that are taken up but not incorporated into new biomass are leaked back into the environment, possibly transformed by intracellular reactions, thereby tying the mismatch between depletion and growth to cross-feeding. For this set of dynamics, we show that feasible equilibria can be either stable or unstable, again depending on the resource environment. We identify special consumption and production networks which protect the community from instability when resources are scarce. Using simulations, we demonstrate that the qualitative stability patterns derived analytically apply to a broader class of network structures and resource inflow profiles, including cases where multiple species coexist on only one externally supplied resource. Our stability criteria bear some resemblance to classic stability results for pairwise interactions, but also demonstrate how environmental context can shape coexistence patterns when resource limitation and exchange are modeled directly

‘No One Should Destroy the Forest\u27: Using photo-based vignette interviews to understand Kenyan teachers\u27 views of the environment

In the midst of the current environmental crisis, scientists, academics, authors, and politicians worldwide are urging citizens to create sustainable communities. However, there is little capability to build a sustainable society without an informed, active, and engaged populous. This requires more than just environmentally knowledgeable citizens. It requires a society that understands the principles of the environment and can also exemplify them in daily life. In order to create a more environmentally literate world, there has been a push for environmental education integrated into schools. This qualitative study sought to examine Kenyan teachers’ perspectives on the human–nature interaction by conducting vignette focus-group interviews. It is a subject not widely explored but vital for conservation not only in this area, but also other areas that seek to have an ecological informed populous. The vignettes were created using photographs and explanations of the photographs that the participants collected and emailed to the authors. For the focus-group vignette interviews, there were a total of 55 participants (30 females and 25 males). After InVivo analysis, we had 6 codes (resentment, pride, perils, blame, pragmatism, and self-interested) within 3 major themes. This study has implications for informing science education to combat these traditions of subjecting students to a science curriculum that demotes Kenyan cultural heritage and lifestyle. By incorporating local knowledge such as the ideas discussed in this paper into Kenyan science education, Kenyans can reach one of most challenging objectives of education, which is to produce children who are fundamentally aware of their environment

Atmospheric neutron measurements with the SONTRAC science model

–The SOlar Neutron TRACking (SONTRAC) telescope was originally developed to measure the energy spectrum and incident direction of neutrons produced in solar flares, in the energy range 20 - 250 MeV. While developed primarily for solar physics, the SONTRAC detector may be employed in virtually any application requiring both energy measurement and imaging capabilities. The SONTRAC Science Model (SM) is presently being operated at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) as a ground-based instrument to investigate the energy spectrum, zenith and azimuth angle dependence of the cosmic-ray induced sea-level atmospheric neutron flux. SONTRAC measurements are based on the non-relativistic double scatter of neutrons off ambient protons within a block of scintillating fibers. Using the n-p elastic double-scatter technique, it is possible to uniquely determine the neutron’s energy and direction on an event-by-event basis. The 3D SM consists of a cube of orthogonal plastic scintillating fiber layers with 5 cm sides, read out by two CCD cameras. Two orthogonal imaging chains allow full 3D reconstruction of scattered proton tracks

An Unsplit Godunov Method for Ideal MHD via Constrained Transport in Three Dimensions

We present a single step, second-order accurate Godunov scheme for ideal MHD which is an extension of the method described by Gardiner & Stone (2005) to three dimensions. This algorithm combines the corner transport upwind (CTU) method of Colella for multidimensional integration, and the constrained transport (CT) algorithm for preserving the divergence-free constraint on the magnetic field. We describe the calculation of the PPM interface states for 3D ideal MHD which must include multidimensional ``MHD source terms'' and naturally respect the balance implicit in these terms by the ${\bf\nabla\cdot B}=0$ condition. We compare two different forms for the CTU integration algorithm which require either 6- or 12-solutions of the Riemann problem per cell per time-step, and present a detailed description of the 6-solve algorithm. Finally, we present solutions for test problems to demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of the algorithm.Comment: Extended version of the paper accepted for publication in JC

Doesn\u27t Your Work Just Re-Center Whiteness? The Fallen Impossibilities of White Allyship

Our purpose is to engage performative dialogue incorporative of currere on a central question in critical White studies (CWS). After precautionary notes and positionalities, we frame our dialogue within second-wave CWS. As its main section, six CWS scholars respond to the central question: Doesn’t research on White identities re-center whiteness? Analyzing the scholars’ responses, the performative dialogue is followed by an analytical discussion of CWS’ epistemological, ontological, and axiological convolutions. Via these convolutions, we recognize the impossibilities of facile “White allyship” within antiracist scholarship, curriculum and pedagogy, and related social movements. Instead of White allyship, we propose situated, relational, and process-oriented notions of alliance-oriented antiracist work

Advanced PPA Reactor and Process Development

Design and development of a second generation Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA) reactor is currently underway as part of NASA s Atmosphere Revitalization Resource Recovery effort. By recovering up to 75% of the hydrogen currently lost as methane in the Sabatier reactor effluent, the PPA helps to minimize life support resupply costs for extended duration missions. To date, second generation PPA development has demonstrated significant technology advancements over the first generation device by doubling the methane processing rate while, at the same time, more than halving the required power. One development area of particular interest to NASA system engineers is fouling of the PPA reactor with carbonaceous products. As a mitigation plan, NASA MSFC has explored the feasibility of using an oxidative plasma based upon metabolic CO2 to regenerate the reactor window and gas inlet ports. The results and implications of this testing are addressed along with the advanced PPA reactor development work

Development of a bi-national Great Lakes coastal wetland and land use map using three-season PALSAR and landsat imagery

Methods using extensive field data and three-season Landsat TM and PALSAR imagery were developed to map wetland type and identify potential wetland stressors (i.e., adjacent land use) for the United States and Canadian Laurentian coastal Great Lakes. The mapped area included the coastline to 10 km inland to capture the region hydrologically connected to the Great Lakes. Maps were developed in cooperation with the overarching Great Lakes Consortium plan to provide a comprehensive regional baseline map suitable for coastal wetland assessment and management by agencies at the local, tribal, state, and federal levels. The goal was to provide not only land use and land cover (LULC) baseline data at moderate spatial resolution (20–30 m), but a repeatable methodology to monitor change into the future. The prime focus was on mapping wetland ecosystem types, such as emergent wetland and forested wetland, as well as to delineate wetland monocultures (Typha, Phragmites, Schoenoplectus) and differentiate peatlands (fens and bogs) from other wetland types. The overall accuracy for the coastal Great Lakes map of all five lake basins was 94%, with a range of 86% to 96% by individual lake basin (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior)

Aligning Practice to Policies: Changing the Culture to Recognize and Reward Teaching at Research Universities

Recent calls for improvement in undergraduate education within STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines are hampered by the methods used to evaluate teaching effectiveness. Faculty members at research universities are commonly assessed and promoted mainly on the basis of research success. To improve the quality of undergraduate teaching across all disciplines, not only STEM fields, requires creating an environment wherein continuous improvement of teaching is valued, assessed, and rewarded at various stages of a faculty member’s career. This requires consistent application of policies that reflect well-established best practices for evaluating teaching at the department, college, and university levels. Evidence shows most teaching evaluation practices do not reflect stated policies, even when the policies specifically espouse teaching as a value. Thus, alignment of practice to policy is a major barrier to establishing a culture in which teaching is valued. Situated in the context of current national efforts to improve undergraduate STEM education, including the Association of American Universities Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative, this essay discusses four guiding principles for aligning practice with stated priorities in formal policies: 1) enhancing the role of deans and chairs; 2) effectively using the hiring process; 3) improving communication; and 4) improving the understanding of teaching as a scholarly activity. In addition, three specific examples of efforts to improve the practice of evaluating teaching are presented as examples: 1) Three Bucket Model of merit review at the University of California, Irvine; (2) Evaluation of Teaching Rubric, University of Kansas; and (3) Teaching Quality Framework, University of Colorado, Boulder. These examples provide flexible criteria to holistically evaluate and improve the quality of teaching across the diverse institutions comprising modern higher education

An Unsplit Godunov Method for Ideal MHD via Constrained Transport

We describe a single step, second-order accurate Godunov scheme for ideal MHD based on combining the piecewise parabolic method (PPM) for performing spatial reconstruction, the corner transport upwind (CTU) method of Colella for multidimensional integration, and the constrained transport (CT) algorithm for preserving the divergence-free constraint on the magnetic field. We adopt the most compact form of CT, which requires the field be represented by area-averages at cell faces. We demonstrate that the fluxes of the area-averaged field used by CT can be made consistent with the fluxes of the volume-averaged field returned by a Riemann solver if they obey certain simple relationships. We use these relationships to derive new algorithms for constructing the CT fluxes at grid cell corners which reduce exactly to the equivalent one-dimensional solver for plane-parallel, grid-aligned flow. We show that the PPM reconstruction algorithm must include multidimensional terms for MHD, and we describe a number of important extensions that must be made to CTU in order for it to be used for MHD with CT. We present the results of a variety of test problems to demonstrate the method is accurate and robust.Comment: 45 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in J. Comp. Phys., More information on Athena can be found at http://www.astro.princeton.edu/~jstone/athena.htm