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Women’s Experiences and Perspectives of Certification Schemes and Empowerment in the Costa Rican Coffee Industry
Get PDFCoffee certification schemes, such as Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, and Organic, influence the environmental, economic, and social conditions of the global coffee industry by promoting sustainable production practices and equitable trade relations. Over the past three decades, studies show that adhering to environmental standards supports ecological conservation in agricultural communities. However, research examining the economic and social impacts among producers yields mixed results due to context-specific factors such as management strategies, landholding size, and market conditions. Furthermore, although many certification schemes incorporate gender equality and women’s empowerment initiatives, little attention has been given to the perspectives of women producers, many of whom confront challenges due to socially constructed gender norms. This research addresses this gap in knowledge through case study analysis of two organizations in southern Costa Rica: CoopeAgri, a mixed-gender producer cooperative, and ASOMOBI, an all-women’s coffee association. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews, document analysis, and participant observation within each organization. Preliminary results suggest that while the majority of women believe certifications can provide benefits, there are significant costs (i.e., money, time, energy), and the actual benefits received can be minimal
Introduction
Get PDFThe Montana Academy of Sciences (MAS) was incorporated on the 20th day of March, 1961, as a non-profit, educational organization. The objectives of the Montana Academy of Sciences are to encourage interest and participation in the sciences and to promote public understanding of science and its contribution to society. The Academy accomplishes its objectives by conducting meetings of those interested in sciences and the education of scientists, by publishing contributions to scientific knowledge, by supporting research, by making awards to recognize accomplishments in science, by administering gifts and contributions to accomplish these aims, by assigning and cooperating with affiliated and other organizations with similar objectives, and by engaging in such other activities as deemed necessary to accomplish its objectives. We held our 2017 Annual Meeting at Montana Tech in Butte, MT. on April 7 and 8. Over 100 registrants participated, viewing 22 contributed oral presentations and 20 poster presentations over the day and a half meeting. We present the abstracts from our meeting here so that the readers of the Intermountain Journal of Sciences can see the quality and types of science supported by MAS. Please mark your calendars for our next meeting, April 6 and 7, 2018 in Butte. Finally, the Board of Directors of MAS would like to thank the sponsors of our 2017 Annual Meeting: Dr. Doug Coe, Dean, College of Letters, Sciences and Professional Studies, Montana Tech Dr. Beverly Hartline, Vice Chancellor for Research, Montana Tech Dr. Renee Reijo Pera, VP for Research, Montana State University Dr. Beth Weatherby, Chancellor, University of Montana – Western Dr. Tim Laurent, Provost and VP for Academic Affairs, University of Great Falls Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University – Billing
The Effects of Beetle-Induced Tree Death on Forest Bird Diversity in Western Montana
Get PDFIn forest ecosystems, climate change can hinder management success by increasing the frequency and intensity of fire and insect outbreaks that cause massive tree die-offs and abrupt habitat change. Resource managers often use ecological indicators to gain insight into the health and status of ecosystems due to the challenge of monitoring all aspects of any ecosystem. Birds are increasingly identified as appropriate taxa for predicting changes in biodiversity and ecological integrity around the globe. We assessed the effects of bark beetle induced forest die-off on patterns of avian diversity in western Montana. We used songbirds, which are ubiquitous and possess attributes capturing the complexity of forests as ecological indicators. In addition to assessing the effects of bark beetle forest die-off on bird diversity we also sought to examine the relative importance of the “conspecific neighborhood” in influencing species-level occurrence rates at a given survey location. This approach is motivated by the idea that individuals of a species aggregate around resources. It follows, that a species is more likely to occur in a patch surrounded by other occupied patches (the conspecific neighborhood). Incorporating measures of spatial autocorrelation in ecological studies is not new. However, this topic is only just beginning to be applied in the context of more recent analytical advances such as Bayesian multi-species hierarchal models used to estimate species abundance and occurrence rates
A Message from the President
Get PDFI am excited about being your new PNLA President and hope to build on the great work that our previous President Jenny Grenfell (North Mason Timberland Library - WA) has accomplished. Jenny has also kindly written a column about how volunteering with PNLA is a rewarding expe-rience. I can certainly attest to that
PNLA Quarterly 81(2) 65 Call for Submissions and Author Instructions
Get PDFLeadership in Librarianship is the focus of the Spring 2018 issue of PNLA Quarterly. We invite library practitioners, students, and educators in the PNLA region (Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, and Washington) to submit articles that deal with any aspect of Leadership in Librarianship in our profession, including (but not limited to) training, best practices, ethical issues, practical con-cerns, staff development, and planning. Articles may be theoretical, research-based, or practice-focused. The deadline for submissions to [email protected] is March 31, 2018
Characteristics of the Effect of Exogenous Camp on C. Albicans Morphogenesis in Strains Lacking NRG1P, RFG1P, or TUP1P
Get PDFThe opportunistic human pathogen Candida albicans causes both superficial and life threatening systemic infections and is a leading cause of fungal disease in immunocompromised individuals such as those with AIDS. C. albicans can grow in different cell shapes, also known as morphologies, including yeast-like cells and a variety of filamentous forms, such as true hyphae and pseudohyphae. Yeast, hyphae and pseudohyphae, have been observed at the sites of Candida infection and there is strong evidence that morphogenesis, the transition between yeast and filamentous growth forms, is essential for its virulence. Many studies have implicated the second messenger molecule cAMP in the regulation of morphogenesis due to its role in activating filamentation. Our lab and others have previously characterized the impact of the negative regulators, Nrg1, Rfg1, and Tup1 on the expression of HWP1, a hyphal specific gene. The goal of this project is to characterize whether the addition of exogenous cAMP will increase the expression of HWP1 in the absence of each of the negative regulators as well as test a small molecule derivative of BH3I’s effects in conjunction with the exogenous cAMP. This will help us better understand the signal transduction cascade that controls morphogenesis in C. albicans
The Effects of Chronic Cortisol Exposure on the Innate Immune Response of Larval Danio Rerio
Get PDFChronic stress is known to cause a variety of health complications linked to a dysregulated immune response, which could be an outcome of chronically elevated stress signaling mediated by the glucocorticoid steroid hormone cortisol. Previous research has shown that zebrafish embryos treated with cortisol for the first 5 days of development matured into pro- inflammatory adults with atypical regulation of immune-related genes (Hartig et al., 10.1242/ bio.020065, 2016). The purpose of this study was to determine how chronic exposure to cortisol affects the innate immune response in larval zebrafish. To that end, the migration of neutrophils and macrophages were monitored following tail fin amputation. Results from this study provide evidence that cortisol-treated larvae had an increased number of macrophages near the amputation site, while the number of neutrophils was not significantly affected by cortisol exposure. These results suggest that chronically elevated glucocorticoid signaling specifically up-regulates the macrophage response to injury
The Effect of Climate-Driven Phenological Shifts on Plant-Pollinator Interactions and Plant and Pollinator Reproductive Success
Get PDFPlants and pollinators are shifting their annual bloom periods and emergence dates (i.e., phenologies) in response to ongoing climate-warming. However, the magnitude of phenological shifts can be species-specific, causing concern that unequal responses will disrupted plantpollinator interactions (i.e., phenological mismatches) and create novel community composition throughout the growing season. The effects of phenological mismatches on plants and pollinators remains unknown, preventing conservation strategies that pinpoint the most vulnerable species. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of phenological shifts on plants and bees by manipulating plant-bee community composition within mesh-sided enclosures (mesocosms). Plantbee communities were assembled following a factorial design based on phenologies (i.e., spring vs. summer blooming plants and spring vs. summer emerging bees), allowing a comparison of plant-bee interactions and reproductive success within ‘phenologically matched’ communities (e.g., spring blooming plants with spring emerging bees) and ‘phenologically mismatched’ communities (e.g., spring blooming plants with summer emerging bees). Preliminary results suggest that interaction frequency was similar between ‘mismatched’ and ‘matched’ communities, implying that plants and bees can compensate for interactions disrupted by phenological mismatches. Currently, I am processing the reproductive data from both plants (i.e., seed set) and bees (i.e, total offspring) to determine if interaction frequency is indicative of reproductive success
Imperfect Tests, Pervasive Pathogens, and Variable Demographic Performance: Thoughts on Managing Bighorn Sheep Respiratory Disease
Get PDFRespiratory disease (pneumonia) has been a persistent challenge for bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) conservation and its cause has been attributed to numerous bacteria including Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae and several Pasteurellaceae family species. This study sought to investigate efficacy of diagnostic protocols in detecting Pasteurellaceae and Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, generate sampling recommendations for different protocols, assess the distribution of these disease agents among 17 bighorn sheep populations in Montana and Wyoming, and evaluate what associations existed between detection of these agents and demographic performance of bighorn sheep populations. Analysis of replicate samples from individual bighorn sheep revealed that detection probability for regularlyused diagnostic protocols was generally low (<50%) for Pasteurellaceae and was high (>70%) for Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, suggesting that routine pathogen sampling likely mischaracterizes respiratory pathogen communities. Power analyses found that most pathogen species could be detected with 80% confidence at the population-level by conducting regularly-used protocols multiple times per animal. Each pathogen species was detected in over half of the study populations, but after accounting for detection probability there was low confidence in negative test results for populations where Pasteurellaceae species were not detected. Seventy-six percent of study populations hosted both Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae and Pasteurellaceae pathogens, yet a number of these populations were estimated to have positive population growth rates and recruitment rates greater than 30%. Overall, the results of this work suggest that bighorn sheep respiratory disease may be mitigated by manipulating population characteristics and respiratory disease epizootics could be caused by pathogens already resident in bighorn sheep population
Conflicting Priorities, Competing Interests and Unintended Consequences - Three Decades of Lessons Learned Managing Wildlife Habitat
Get PDFManagement of food, cover and water at the Ninepipe Wildlife Management Area (WMA), an intermountain prairie pothole complex in the Mission Valley of western Montana involves many facets beyond decisions to benefit waterfowl and pheasants populations and hunters for which the WMA was established. Interests of WMA users have expanded beyond game species, the mission of Fish, Wildlife & Parks has evolved, and management goals of the WMA program have broadened. This paper describes management approaches and lessons learned in response to often conflicting priorities and competing interests as the local environment and human values have changed. Pheasants and some waterfowl species have overlapping habitat requirements that serve different life history needs. Habitat features that are good for reproduction and survival are not necessarily the best for hunting. Members of the general public who lobby for their particular interests are not aware of what it takes to get the habitat they think is best. Using farming practices to grow food and nesting cover while conserving and protecting soil, water, and vegetation is the driving goal. Using flood irrigation to manipulate water levels in wetland basins ensures abundant, diverse, and productive habitat. Weed management activities are conducted to improve habitat, whereas habitat improvements are conducted in a manner to minimize the spread of weeds. Trees planted for pheasant winter cover have resulted in grizzly bear/human conflicts – lesson learned! Other lessons include that management practices must be based first on the needs of the natural resources, habitat conditions are fluid and dynamic, great habitat does not necessarily result in high wildlife populations or high hunter satisfaction, and keeping a broad perspective is the best strategy, regardless of short term conditions and pressures. Hopefully the lessons that were learned will be instructive to others managing similar habitats