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Is subarctic forest advance able to keep pace with climate change?
Get PDFPublished VersionRecent climate warming and scenarios for further warming have led to expectations of rapid movement of ecological boundaries. Here we focus on the circumarctic forest–tundra ecotone (FTE), which represents an important bioclimatic zone with feedbacks from forest advance and corresponding tundra disappearance (up to 50% loss predicted this century) driving widespread ecological and climatic changes. We address FTE advance and climate history relations over the 20th century, using FTE response data from 151 sites across the circumarctic area and site-specific climate data. Specifically, we investigate spatial uniformity of FTE advance, statistical asso ciations with 20th century climate trends, and whether advance rates match climate change velocities (CCVs). Study sites diverged into four regions (Eastern Canada; Central and Western Canada and Alaska; Siberia; and Western Eurasia) based on their climate history, although all were characterized by similar qualitative patterns of behaviour (with about half of the sites showing advancing behaviour). The main associations between climate trend variables and behaviour indicate the importance of precipitation rather than temperature for both qualitative and quantitative behav iours, and the importance of non-growing season as well as growing season months. Poleward latitudinal advance rates differed significantly among regions, being small est in Eastern Canada (~10 m/year) and largest in Western Eurasia (~100 m/year). These rates were 1–2 orders of magnitude smaller than expected if vegetation dis tribution remained in equilibrium with climate. The many biotic and abiotic factors influencing FTE behaviour make poleward advance rates matching predicted 21st century CCVs (~103–104 m/year) unlikely. The lack of empirical evidence for swift forest relocation and the discrepancy between CCV and FTE response contradict equilibrium model-based assumptions and warrant caution when assessing global change-related biotic and abiotic implications, including land–atmosphere feedbacks and carbon sequestration
2020-12-18 Senate Minutes and Agenda
No full textMinutes and agenda for the December 18th, 2020 meeting of Saint Mary's University Senate
Medical assistance in dying and its impact on clergy who have accompanied patients through the procedure
Get PDF1 online resource (43 pages)Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (page 27)."Graduate Project"This Phenomenological Research study examines data revealed through the lens of clergy who have accompanied patients through Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) procedures. Through a series of one on one interviews, this study seeks to reveal the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual impacts of said participation on those interviewed. Six clergy were interviewed – four of whom serve full-time in congregational ministry, one of whom serves full-time as an ecumenical hospital chaplain, and one of whom serves both in congregational ministry as well as in hospital and hospice chaplaincy. Though there were some differences revealed between the experiences of congregational-based clergy and those of hospital or hospice-based clergy, five main themes were revealed. First is that to be invited to walk with someone on their journey toward MAiD is an incredible honour and privilege. Second, critical to the clergy persons experience with a given patient were the primary reasons the patient had chosen MAiD; particularly, when it appeared a patient were choosing MAiD to alleviate existential suffering, the participants found the situation more difficult and questioned their roles in the procedure. Third, a great deal of silence and secrecy surrounds MAiD, so open dialogue on the subject is rare in our churches and the people who choose MAiD often do so in secrecy from their community, friends, and even family. Fourth, clergy tend to feel alone in their experiences, unable to debrief properly with a trusted confidante. Fifth, participants felt called to advocacy work on the subject of MAiD. The phenomenon of MAiD is so new, and the subject is so complicated, that this study only reveals the tip of the iceburg in terms of the wisdom that clergy can bring to discussions on the subject and to our evolving relationship with the procedure
Analyzing international stabilization and Canada’s mission in Afghanistan
Get PDF1 online resource (53 pages)Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 51-53).This essay analyses international stabilization missions as contemporary forms of crisis management in conflict and post-conflict environments. While maintaining some similarities and differences, ‘stabilization has emerged as an alternative approach to ‘peacebuilding’ and ‘statebuilding’ for certain governments engaged in international military operations. Drawing from Philipp Rotmann’s ‘stabilization-as-crisis-management’, the essay proceeds with an analysis of Canada’s mission in Afghanistan and its three primary chronological phases of operation. Rotmann’s concept serves as an analytical framework to evaluate successes and failures of Canada’s twelve-and-a-half-year mission which ended in 2014. This essay
concludes that Canada’s application of stabilization was broader than the crisis management’ approach and with its broad scope and was therefore unable to accomplish many of the goals to stabilize Afghanista
Characterization of volatile organic compounds from potential plant growth-promoting bacteria
Get PDF1 online resource (58 pages) : illustrations (some colour)Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 50-58).Microorganisms play important roles in plant growth and development. The use of biofertilizers for crop production is not only beneficial to the plants but can serve as a form of sustainable agriculture. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) are metabolites produced by microorganisms known to play a role in plant growth and defense. In this study, the VOC’s produced by bacteria isolated from the shoots of grape vines were used to test the growth enhancing ability of the bacteria.
Four bacterial isolates were characterized for their ability to enhance soybean growth using the volatile organic compounds produced. All of the four isolates showed no plant growth promoting abilities. The four bacteria were identified to be Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, Bacillus proteolyticus, Paenibacillus alvei and unknown. Only Senotrophomonas rhizophila was identified with certainty.
The volatile profile of each bacterium was analyzed, and various compounds known to be produced by soil bacteria, in addition to some novel compounds were identified.
An additional experiment was conducted by placing the S. rhizophila bacteria directly into the soil along with biochar. This experiment was not completely conducted due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 shutdown. Based purely on observation, more extensive plant growth was present for the S. rhizophila treatment
The Clean Development Mechanism and carbon enclosures
Get PDF115 leaves : illustrations ; 29 cmIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-115).This thesis examines the role the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), an offsetting mechanism introduced by the Kyoto Protocol, played in facilitating carbon enclosure in the global South. The research focuses on the CDM as a case study, which connects a range of actors and disciplines in the service of decarbonization. The research in this thesis is both descriptive and explicative, comparing dominant assumptions about market environmentalism and critical political economy perspectives. The research, and this thesis, shows that the CDM's characteristics as a tool for capital accumulation resulted in uneven distribution of projects and green enclosure
Investigation of resonance states in Li-11
No full textviii, 58 leaves : illustrations (chiefly colour) ; 29 cmIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-58).Understanding the structure of complex many-body nuclei is one of the central challenges in nuclear physics. The conventional shell model is capable of explaining the structure of stable nuclei, but it starts to shatter towards the driplines or rare isotopes. To explain the new trends in the shell model at the driplines, it is essential to study these exotic nuclei. Halo nuclei are prime examples of some of the unusual characteristics of rare isotopes. In this study, we investigate the resonance states in the neutron dripline nucleus 11Li through the deuteron scattering. The experiment was performed at the IRIS facility at TRIUMF with an 11Li beam accelerated to 7.3A MeV. The thin windowless solid deuteron target was used as a deuteron source with two different thicknesses. Together with the ground state, multiple resonances are observed at 1.06 ± 0.06 MeV, 2.29 ± 0.04 MeV and 4.01 ± 0.04 MeV
Isolation in police interrogations
Get PDF199 leaves ; 28 cmIncludes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-92).The literature on police interrogations is vast, but little to no research has explored isolation during interrogations. Police officers are trained to isolate suspects (Cleary & Warner, 2016), officers report “isolating suspects from their family and friends” as the technique they use most commonly (Kassin et al., 2007), and this research provides evidence of its use. This study examined 20 police interrogation videos, finding that 95% of cases utilized isolation. The amount of time spent in isolation throughout the interrogation ranged from zero minutes to 6.49 hours (M = 2.58 hours). The average amount of time spent in isolation during an interrogation differed significantly from the Reid Model recommendation of five minutes, however, no relationship between time spent in isolation and the interrogation outcome (confession/no confession) was identified. Police were found to interrupt isolation periods more than once per interrogation, on average. Nonverbal behaviours provided few cues to interrogation outcome
Development of event-display and general calibration software tools for use in Jefferson Lab's Hall A.
Get PDF1 online resource (vii, 67 pages) : colour illustrationsIncludes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (page 67).This thesis documents the development of an Event Display for use in the BigBite calorimeter in the Super BigBite (SBS) ecosystem of detectors in Jefferson Lab’s Hall A. The development of a functional Event Display also necessitated the development of ancillary tools, namely a new Pedestal-Identifiction and Subtraction tool, as a method to Gain-Match the Photomultiplier Tubes of the BigBite calorimeter by altering the High-Voltages applied to each PMT. All tools created in this project are generalizable and can thus potentially be applied to other detectors within the SBS ecosystem, as well as possibly other detectors within the JLab facility. The Event Display is created to aid in visualization of data, as well as providing another interface for JLab researchers to detect potential issues in the functioning of the BigBite calorimeter. The ancillary tools generated to aid in the development of the Event Display are useful not only for the development and functioning of the Event Display, but are also necessary for proper data collection and analysis