Coastal Wetland Dynamics Under Sea-level Rise and Wetland Restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico using Bayesian Multilevel Models and a Web Tool

There is currently a lack of modeling framework to predict how relative sea-level rise (SLR), combined with restoration activities, affects landscapes of coastal wetlands with uncertainties accounted for at the entire northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM). I developed such a modeling framework – Bayesian multi-level models to study the spatial pattern of wetland loss in the NGOM, driven by relative RSLR, vegetation productivity, tidal range, coastal slope, and wave height – all interacting with river-borne sediment availability, indicated by hydrological regimes. These interactions have not been comprehensively investigated before. I further modified this model to assess the efficacy of restoration projects from 1996 to 2005 and predicted wetland loss by 2100 and 2300 under climate change and restoration scenarios (RCP3 and RCP8.5) in coastal Louisiana. The results show that the main biogeophysical factors contributing to wetland areal loss vary by hydrological regime, but relative SLR and wave height are the main drivers in the majority of the hydrological regimes. In addition, vegetation productivity reduces percent wetland loss and this effect is substantial in the medium riverine discharge regimes. In Louisiana coast, breakwater construction and hydrological alteration restoration are more effective restoration methods compared to vegetation planting and marsh creation, and wetland restoration is predicted to reduce wetland loss under high SLR scenarios. I packaged the modeling results and scenarios analysis into a web tool for wider dissemination. The research will facilitate more-informed restoration plans and help enhance resilience of coastal wetlands to SLR

Forest conservation in Nepal: Encouraging women\u27s participation

This issue of SEEDS focuses on ways in which women have been involved in a government forest conservation and restoration program in Nepal. As is common with many large-scale projects with a general impact, women were not a direct focus of the project\u27s original design. As activities got underway, however, both the Nepali staff and their expatriate colleagues quickly realized that the direct involvement of women was crucial to the success of the project\u27s participatory strategy. Over the initial five years, 1980 to 1985, a number of approaches to addressing women\u27s needs and generating their active participation were tried. The report details lessons learned about encouraging women to participate in such projects

The BG News August 30, 2000

The BGSU campus student newspaper August 30, 2000. Volume 86 - Issue 4https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/7669/thumbnail.jp

Biofuels for a Greener Economy? Insights from Jatropha Production in Northeastern Ethiopia

Many observers view Jatropha as a miracle plant that grows in harsh environments, halts land degradation and provides seeds for fuel production. This makes it particularly attractive for use in Ethiopia, where poverty levels are high and the degradation of agricultural land is widespread. In this article, we investigate the potentials and limitations of a government-initiated Jatropha project for smallholders in northeastern Ethiopia from a green economy perspective. Data are based on a 2009 household survey and interviews with key informants, as well as on a 2012 follow-up round of interviews with key informants. We conclude that the project has not contributed to a greener economy so far, but has the potential to do so in the future. To maximize Jatropha’s potential, interventions must focus mainly on smallholders and pay more attention to the entire biofuel value chain

A heuristic for local land planning: Linking ecological function and policy-in context to Charlotte, North Carolina-

Ecological systems and services are foundational to human well-being, and in recent years have received increasing scholastic attention. The functional ability of these systems is influenced however, by human-induced land transformation related to conventional patterns of growth and development. Such land transformations, which commonly occur as single-family residential development, are criticized as being wasteful and inefficient, leading to issues like air and water pollution, diminished forests and wetlands, and habitat loss and fragmentation. In the United States a patchwork of policy exists aimed at addressing such ecological concerns. Despite best efforts, most local governments and planning offices still miss the mark, creating policy that only peripherally addresses ecological function. The research presented herein aims to deal with this; by way of a new heuristic, designed to link ecological function and land-use policy, this research offers direction to local land-use planners and policymakers who wish to integrate the preservation of ecological systems in local policy creation

Challenges facing artists and institutions when showcasing and collecting internet art: a comparative study

Internet Art is an art form that uses the Internet as its primary medium from its production to presentation. Internet Art characteristics and attributes bring about presentation, preservation and colleting challenges to the curatorial practice; especially if presented in a museum or gallery structure. Strategies used by early Internet Artists were influenced by the characteristics of this medium; these are variability and technological obsolescence. Internet Art is inherently process based, ubiquitous, ephemeral and dynamic in nature. This challenges the traditional role of the curator in a gallery and museum structure. The curator is increasingly expected to create platforms of exchange of ideas between the viewer of the artwork and the project itself. Additional the curator also has to provide some insight in the decision making process regarding maintenance, support, contracts and documentation. Internet Art questions the principles in which galleries and museum structures are based; these include objectification, not touching objects and authorship of Internet Art projects. These projects are collaborative in nature and created by more than one artist, normally geographically dispersed. Internet Art demand for new modes of presentation, documentation and preservation that are more suited for online art. These new modes of presentation fundamentally change the role of the curator. If galleries and museums want to start or continue growing their Internet Art collections, they need to start understanding challenges facing the Internet as a medium, develop appropriate presentation and preservation strategies that seek to address identified challenges

2014-2015 Annual report

The South Carolina SmartState Program serves the public interest by creating incentives for the state’s research universities, in cooperation with other institutions of higher education in the state, to raise capital from non-state sources to fund endowments for specialized research professorships. This annual report highlights the progress and accomplishments of the year