The mental demands of marine Ecosystem -based Management: A constructive developmental lens

Ecosystem-based Management (EBM) is a relatively new and promising approach to the management of marine systems. EBM is holistic by seeking to include ail stakeholders affected by marine policy. Stakeholders may include individuals from ail levels of government, academia, environmental organizations, and marine-dependent businesses and industry. This dissertation lays out the substantive differences of marine EBM stakeholder engagement processes versus other, single sector processes. EBM processes are more complex than existing stakeholder engagement mechanisms, to sufficiently require a more sophisticated conceptual understanding of the process and the people involved. There are implicit cognitive, interpersonal, and intra-personal demands of EBM that are not addressed by current literature. This research seeks to understand the mental demands of EBM. A constructive developmental framework (from the field of developmental psychology) is used to illuminate how decision-makers reason or make sense of the ideals and values underlying EBM, the mutual relationships that must be built among management sectors, and the personal experiences and emotions that accompany change. The research considerations include useful lessons for facilitating an ecosystem-approach to policy formation by understanding the mental and emotional capacities of those responsible for change

Stranded capital: environmental stewardship is part of the economy, too

The many values that humans place on biodiversity are widely acknowledged but difficult to measure in practice. We address this problem by quantifying the contribution of marine-related environmental stewardship, in the form of donations and volunteer hours, to the economy of coastal Massachusetts. Our conservative evaluation suggests that marine stewardship activities contributed at least $179 million to the state economy in 2014, a figure that exceeded revenues derived in that same year from commercial finfish operations ($105 million) and whale watching ($111 million), two acknowledged cornerstones of the regional economy. Almost imperceptibly, the coastal economy has been transformed from one dependent on commercial exchange to a diverse economy that includes, to a large measure, marine stewardship. Donations and volunteer efforts are useful indicators of environmental values that can be hard to quantify, and represent one measure of human determination to protect the planet

The Complexity of the Practice of Ecosystem-Based Management.

In the United States, there are more than 20 federal agencies that manage over 140 ocean statutes (Crowder et al., 2006). A history of disjointed, single sector management has resulted in a one-dimensional view of ecosystems, administrative systems, and the socio-economic drivers that affect them. In contrast, an ecosystem-based approach to management is inherently multi-dimensional. Ecosystem-based approaches to management (EBM) are at the forefront of progressive science and policy discussions. Both the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy (USCOP, 2004) and the Pew Oceans Commission (POC, 2003) reports called for a better understanding of the impact of human activities on the coastal ocean and the result was President Obama’s National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, our Coasts, and the Great Lakes (2010). EBM is holistic by seeking to include all stakeholders affected by marine policy in decision-making. Stakeholders may include individuals from all levels of government, academia, environmental organizations, and marine-dependent businesses and industry. EBM processes require decision-makers to approach marine management differently and more comprehensively to sufficiently require a more sophisticated conceptual understanding of the process and the people involved. There are implicit cognitive, interpersonal, and intra-personal demands of EBM that are not addressed by current literature. This research seeks to understand the mental demands of EBM. A constructive developmental framework is used to illuminate how decision-makers reason or make sense of the ideals and values underlying EBM, the mutual relationships that must be built among natural resource management agencies, and the personal experiences and emotions that accompany change

Exploring Individual and Interpersonal Level Factors Associated with Academic Success of College Students at a Women’s, Faith-based Higher Institution

The present study investigated how spirituality, peer connections, and social integration relate to academic resiliency, academic self-efficacy, academic integration, and institutional commitment of college students who identify as female. A sample of 372 undergraduates (ages 18-26) at a Catholic University completed Mapworks survey containing institution-specific questions and spirituality items in Spring 2018. Pearson correlation was used to examine the bivariate relationships between the variables. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was conducted to determine if relationships exist among the predictor variables (spirituality, peer connections, social integration) and the criterion variables (academic resiliency, academic self-efficacy, academic integration, institutional commitment). Academic resiliency was the only contributor to the synthetic criterion variable. The contributions of academic self-efficacy, academic integration and institutional commitment to the synthetic criterion variable were very negligible. Social integration and peer connections were the primary contributors to the predictor synthetic variable, with a secondary contribution by spirituality. Social integration, peer connections, and spirituality were all positively related to academic resiliency. Simultaneously addressing the social and spiritual well-being of college students, particularly those who have self-selected to attend a women’s college, are crucial to promoting their academic success

Development and Validation of the Spiritual Impact Rating Scale for Women (SIRSW): A Tool for Assessing College Women\u27s Spirituality

Spirituality impacts college student outcomes in the United States such as mental health, physical health, academic success, and healthy behaviors. Numerous studies consistently show gender differences on spirituality measures. The wealth of empirical evidence demonstrating gender differences in spirituality warranted the development of a tool for measuring college women\u27s spirituality. The purpose of this study was to develop and examine the psychometric properties of the SIRSW, including its content validity, factorial structure, and internal consistency using a college women sample. A sample of 667 undergraduates (ages 18-26) at an all-women’s Catholic University in the upper Midwest completed the spirituality survey in Spring 2018. Demographic characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Demographic differences in spirituality score were assessed using t-test and one-way ANOVA. Psychometric characteristics of the SIRSW were assessed by evaluating variability, internal consistency reliability, and overall scale structure. There were no significant demographic differences in total spirituality score. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach alpha = 0.97). Item-scale coefficients were above the minimum criteria. Factor analysis revealed that the 16-items measuring spirituality fell under the one-factor component and accounted for 82% of the variance. The SIRSW was found to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing the spiritual well-being of college women. Understanding college women’s spirituality can inform the development of a spiritually oriented intervention that is consistent with their values enhancing their psychological, mental, and physical well-being

Training interdisciplinary “wicked problem” solvers: applying lessons from HERO in community-based research experiences for undergraduates

Management of “wicked problems”, messy real-world problems that defy resolution, requires thinkers who can transcend disciplinary boundaries, work collaboratively, and handle complexity and obstacles. This paper explores how educators can train undergraduates in these skills through applied community-based research, using the example of an interdisciplinary research program at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. Participating students strengthened their abilities to handle setbacks in the research process, improved communication and teamwork skills, and gained familiarity with interdisciplinary investigation. Programmatic elements that could transfer well to other settings include studying local human–environment problems, working in multigenerational, small groups, and using multiple methodologies

Vulnerability and adaptive capacity in response to the Asian Longhorned Beetle infestation in Worcester, Massachusetts

Invasive species pose a significant threat to communities and ecosystems around the world affecting social, political and ecological conditions. The Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) is one such pest that has affected parts of North America, including central Massachusetts. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) felled more than 30,000 trees there as part of an ongoing eradication effort. In this paper, we draw on relational place-making theories to consider multi-scalar social vulnerability, and livelihoods frameworks to assess the social, political, and ecological factors that contributed to vulnerability and responding adaptations in Worcester, MA. Interviews with stakeholders identified vulnerabilities and emerging policy - including a new non-governmental organization - that has increased resilience, despite some institutional weaknesses in the capacities of the local government. Future research will explore ways to institutionalize long-term tree stewardship at the municipal level, and the socio-spatial impacts of emerging policies

Mapping land development through periods of economic bubble and bust in Massachusetts using Landsat time series data

This study examines the change from undeveloped to developed land-use during the real estate bubble (2000-2006) and subsequent bust (2006-2013) in Massachusetts, USA, using a time series of Landsat-5, 7, and 8 data. Loss in undeveloped land-use was measured using standardized change detection of Landsat green vegetation and albedo fractions. Between periods of bubble and bust, a significant difference occurred in the total area of undeveloped land-use loss (bubble, 35.9 km2; bust, 29.18 km2), as well as mean loss-patch area (p \u3c 0.001), from 4848 m2 to 4079 m2 (16% decrease). The area of undeveloped land-use loss was 81% greater in forest than agricultural land-use during the bubble and only 51% greater, post-bubble. Undeveloped urban forest loss constituted 25% of all losses during the bubble, while during the bust it was 42%. These findings indicate that total area of undeveloped land-use loss changed due to the economic recession and that those losses reorient from forest and agricultural areas toward areas adjacent to existing development (i.e., urban forests)