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Distribution, diversity, and den locations of Canidae and Hyaenidae species across habitat type at Enashiva Nature Refuge
Get PDFDue to the importance of top-trophic level predators have on their environment including regulating prey species and influencing ecosystem biodiversity, it is important to monitor top-trophic level predators to understand how they shape their ecosystem. While top-trophic level predators can benefit the ecosystem, they can also cause problems for surrounding human settlements like predation on livestock. Species in the Canidae and Hyaenidae families occupy the top-trophic level and can influence their ecosystem and cause human-wildlife conflict.
This study looked at the distribution, diversity, and den locations of Canidae and Hyaenidae species at Enashiva Nature Refuge over the course of 21 days. The goal was to understand whether occurrence and diversity had increased, decreased, or remained stable to give insight on how the Enashiva ecosystem had changed in relation to species in these families. Also, to look at the distribution of occurrence for species across habitat type to understand if there is habitat preference. Several methods of data collection were used including walking transects, opportunistic walking, opportunistic driving, and game cameras. Two-tailed t-tests and ANOVA tests were used to statistically analyze the results.
It was concluded that based on the results that there has not been a change in occurrence frequency of Canidae and Hyaenidae species at Enashiva when compared to previous studies. In addition, the diversity has also not changed. While there was some fluctuation in number of occurrences between studies they stayed relatively stable. Also, based on occurrence frequencies in habitat it was concluded that there is not a significant difference between occurrence frequencies between species and habitat. However, it does appear that the three-species recorded prefer the woodland for dens. Based on this study the diversity and occurrence of Canidae and Hyaenidae species has remained stable. Also, occurrences can be found in all habitats. It will be important to continue to monitor these species for diversity and potential human-wildlife conflict
Utilization and Accessibility of Securinega Virosa for Medical Use in Morogoro Municipality
Get PDFApproximately 80% of rural communities in Tanzania utilize the services of traditional healers. This is largely because modern medicine is often expensive, inaccessible, or has undesirable side effects. This study investigates use of traditional medicine in Morogoro Urban district where people do have access to hospitals. In particular, this study aims to assess the utilization and accessibility the plant species Securinega virosa for medicinal use by identifying and interviewing the actors involved in the supply chain from harvester to consumer. I conducted semi-structured interviews with eight traditional healers and one herbal medicine shopkeeper. I expected harvesters to express a decline in the availability of medicinal plants as habitats have been destroyed and the commercial market for herbal medicine has grown. To evaluate utilization of traditional medicine by local people, I conducted surveys of fifty-one individuals. I expected use of traditional medicine to be correlated with education level and that people would prefer traditional medicine because it was more accessible (fiscally and in terms of location). I determined that Securinega virosa is used in Morogoro Urban to treat a variety of diseases including dysentery, diarrhea, cholera, stomach problems (gastritis, ulcers, pain, etc.), uterine diseases, menstrual problems, infertility, venereal diseases, hernia, and intestinal complications. Traditional healers in Morogoro harvest their plants from both the wild and from farms, from both in and out of Morogoro. There are indications that accessibility of medicinal plants has decreased due to worsening environment, disappearance of plants (possibly due to habitat destruction and over exploitation), government restrictions on harvesting from the wild, and an increase in commercial harvesting. Even though hospitals are accessible in Morogoro Municipality, over seventy percent of survey respondents reported to using traditional medicine. Further, a system has developed where many people get tests from hospitals in order to get a diagnosis and then may choose to receive herbal treatment. Notably, the data showed no correspondence between education level and using traditional medicine
Tourism in Raja Ampat: New Chances and Challenges
Get PDFThis study focuses on the ways in which the tourism industry in Raja Ampat has contributed to local livelihoods and encouraged the preservation of marine resources, looking specifically at the case of a dive operator and a volunteer tourism operation. The study illuminates the challenges that these operators face when engaging with the local community to protect the environment, and recommends more effective strategies for improving relations between tourism operators and the communities in which they reside. The study ultimately makes the case that the legacy of colonial rule in Western Papua must be a consideration in tourism planning, as this history of extraction and domination of local communities is as risk of continuing with this new industry. Ultimately, by understanding the economic, community, and environmental impacts that tourism brings to Raja Ampat, private operators can maintain the long term success of both their own businesses as well as the communities and ecosystems on which their success depends
The effects of thermal stress on fluorescent protein expression in an Indo-Pacific scleractinian coral species, Acropora tenuis
Get PDFThe scleractinian coral species that so heavily define tropical coral reefs are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic global warming. Rising sea surface temperatures in combination with light stress causes the photosynthetic breakdown of the coral’s algal symbiont, Symbiodinium. Corals have developed a number of physiological responses to handle acute stressors, such as the production of ultraviolet-protecting amino acids, heat shock proteins, the ability to shift symbionts, and the production of fluorescent proteins. The latter has been thought to play a photoprotective role in the coral holobiont, and studies have shown evidence that corals orient these pigments to divert harmful light away from their symbionts in shallow reefs that are at great risk of environmental stress. The biological role these proteins play is still largely speculative. This study is part of a larger study examining coral physiological responses to thermal stress.
In total, 170 Acropora tenuis colonies were tagged in reefs surrounding Pelorus and Orpheus Islands before the onset on the bleaching event of 2017 that affected the Central Sector of the Great Barrier Reef. In addition to studying the genetic differences between resilient and susceptible individuals, the fluorescent protein expression of these colonies was examined during the height (March) and end (April) of the bleaching event. Of 25 colonies that underwent analysis, 21 experienced extreme thermal stress and were nearly completely bleached in April and two colonies not only survived the bleaching, but increased their Symbiodinium counts. Fragments collected were split into top and bottom portions for analysis. Top fragments experienced greater rates of bleaching than bottom fragments at both the March and April time point, suggesting that exposure to light in addition to heat is more stressful than heat alone. Total protein content linearly decreased weakly, but significantly, with the loss of Symbiodinium (r2 = 0.3226; P-value = 4.292e^-10). Fluorescent protein expression between March and April in all 25 colonies did not significantly change (r2 = 0.0002365, P=0.3142), but the ratio in concentration of cyan fluorescent protein (475 nm) to green fluorescent protein (505 nm) was higher in top fragments of colonies that remained bleached than in top fragments of colonies that remained healthy throughout March and April (P \u3c 0.05). The same ratio difference was not detected in the bottom fragments (P \u3e 0.05). This pattern suggests variability in the effects light and heat have on coral’s physiological response to stress and that corals may downregulate energetically costly FPs during bleaching
Impacts of Migration on Mosuo Cultural Identity: A case study of the Mosuo People in Lijiang
Get PDFChina is currently in the midst of the largest labor migration in human history and yet we know very little about the cultural impact on the migrants themselves. For many ethnic minorities, like the Mosuo, who have been isolated from urban, if not Han, influence for much of their history, this migration is sure to result in some cultural disruption. As a matrilineal culture defined by large extended families traced by the matriline, a distinct, non-exclusive sexual-reproductive system, a housing layout that reflects religious beliefs and social structure, and a fluid interplay of the local ddaba religion and Tibetan Buddhism, the Mosuo are an interesting group through whom to follow the impacts of migration. This study traces the Mosuo migration to Lijiang, the closest urban area to the Mosuo geographic epicenter, to develop a better understanding of how the Mosuo cultural experience both shifts and sustains itself in the face of migration. This study’s findings are based on a month of formal interviews which combined structured and unstructured techniques conducted in Lijiang (migrants: N=18, government officials: N=2, Mosuo researchers: N=4), and five primarily Mosuo townships and villages (N=11). Through participant observation techniques I conducted informal interviews with (rural: N= 34, urban =6) Mosuo residents. Through this research, I ask: What aspects of Mosuo culture change in the face of migration and what remain relatively constant? The answers to these questions can not only give a clue to the future of the Mosuo, but also tell a larger story of the ways that migration impacts migrants. Thus, in the context of a rural to urban migration in which young Mosuo migrants are often coming to the city solo to start a new life with a new job, I argue that the first aspects of Mosuo culture to be susceptible to change are those physical attributes and cultural practices that are less compatible with urban life, whereas the deeper values that the Mosuo associate with their identity and the rituals that mark important life events remain more stable
Drama for Social Justice: Embodying Identity and Emotion in ELT
Get PDFIn this thesis, the author makes the case that drama is a powerful tool for language acquisition because it develops and engages embodiment, emotion and identity, important aspects of learning and communication that are often neglected in traditional language classrooms. The thesis establishes a theoretical foundation for the use of drama in the social justice-oriented language classroom, reviews research on drama for language learning and describes common drama techniques. The author connects the theories of embodied cognition and multiliteracies to an intersectional model of identity and argues that drama helps students re-examine the way society positions them based on their embodied identities. The impact of emotions on language learning and the ways students’ emotional experiences are influenced by language and culture are analyzed, with the conclusion that drama can be an effective tool to increase students’ emotional intelligence. The author situates second language identity formation within a narrative identity development framework and proposes identity texts as a form of counter-storytelling. These texts contribute to the creation of a more just society by challenging dominant discourses and encouraging students to envision a wider range of possibilities for their future selves. The thesis concludes with a framework for implementing drama in the language classroom, which contains suggestions for creating a socially responsible drama class as well as a progression of activities that teachers can use with their own students
Vrai: The Culture of Knockoff Goods in Morocco Their Social Value, Utility, and Context in Contemporary Rabat
Get PDFFashion has long been an aspect of culture through which people identify, and it serves as a marker for class, nationality, and various other social statuses. With the continued democratization of culture via the internet and its various outlets, such as social media, fashion culture and the divide between high couture and mass-produced clothing, as noted by Bourdieu, is becoming less distinct. In the context of Rabat, Morocco, this has partially played out in the consumption of knockoff goods by the youth, a part of a larger individuation[1] process that includes a “westernization”of dress and a slow departure from “traditional” wear. To examine the motivations, other than economic, for purchasing knockoff couture and whether the authenticity of the good matters to the consumer, this study utilizes interviews and observation of consumers, promoters, shopkeepers of real and fake couture. The qualitative research finds evidence to support the idea that the imagery and myth touted on social media are highly influential in purchasing of fake goods. Though class distinctions between those who can afford authentic couture and those who sport knockoffs are still very much apparent, the identification with global trends allows consumers of fake luxury goods to take part in global trends playing out through the individuation and digitalization of Morocco, and specifically Rabat
Tourism and Representation: Digital Expressions and Implications of Orientalism
Get PDFAs the tourism industry in Morocco expands, so does Morocco’s online presence. Digital representations of Morocco are often written by and geared toward Westerners; these are often projections of an imagined Morocco, one that is informed by Orientalist conceptions of the Arab/Islamic countries. This study aims to analyze a selection of online articles about touring Morocco in an effort to determine how the underlying Orientalist attitudes in these pieces fit into a larger narrative of exploitation and Western dominance
Colonización, Globalización, Descolonización: Cambiar la Forma en que los Bolivianos Piensan sobre Cuestiones LGBT / Colonization, Globalization, Decolonization: Changing the Way Bolivians Think About LGBT Issues
No full textLa intención de este proyecto es obtener una imagen del mundo de las organizaciones homosexuales en Bolivia y ver cómo la popular corriente cultural de la descolonización influye en los objetivos, los métodos y las retóricas de los miembros. A través de varias entrevistas, analices de literatura y observaciones mientras asistía a reuniones LGBT, se refiere tanto al éxito hipotético y al uso poco frecuente de la retórica y las estrategias de descolonización en colectivos LGBT en Bolivia. Las razones de esta dicotomía radican principalmente en la eliminación casi completa de las prácticas homosexuales en Bolivia por parte de los españoles, la fuerza imperialista del globalismo occidental con su retórica integrada sobre los derechos humanos y los desafíos que los grupos LGBT tienen con la colectivización y la movilización. Los colectivos e investigadores LGBT también han presentado elementos problemáticos con el concepto de descolonización como un objetivo dirigido por el estado, que se conecta con otras teorías sobre la separación del pensamiento colonizado y el pensamiento nativo . La conclusión principal del estudio es que, si bien los grupos bolivianos LGBT tienen un gran interés en descolonizar sus percepciones de género e identidad sexual, el clima político, la facilidad de la globalización y la falta de recursos económicos y humanos no han sido favorables a la utilización generalizada de descolonización entre los movimientos LGBT bolivianos.
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The intention of this study is to obtain knowledge of the world of homosexual organizations in Bolivia and to see how the popular cultural movement of decolonization influences the objectives, methods and rhetoric of LGBT people. Through several interviews, analyzes of literature, and observations while attending LGBT meetings, this study analyzes the coexistence of both strong ideological support and comparatively infrequent use of decolonization strategies in LGBT collectives in Bolivia. The reasons for this disconnect lie mainly in the almost complete elimination of homosexual practices in Bolivia by the Spanish, the modern imperialist force of Western globalism with its integrated rhetoric on human rights, and the challenges that LGBT groups have with collectivization and mobilization. LGBT collectives and researchers have also presented problematic elements with the concept of decolonization as a state-led enterprise, which relates to theories about the separation of colonized thought and native thinking. The main conclusion of the study is that, although Bolivian LGBT groups demonstrate great interest in decolonizing their perceptions of gender and sexual identity, the political climate, the ease of globalized rhetoric, and the lack of economic and human resources have not been favorable to the widespread use of decolonization among Bolivian LGBT movements
The Latex Journey: A Narrative Approach to Exploring Condom Use, Stigma, and Education from the Perspective of Women in Masxha
Get PDFAlthough the South African National Department of Health (NDOH) is spending increasing amounts of money on improving their HIV programs (including the rollout of new, scented condoms for their condom distribution program), the rates of condom use at last sexual encounter are declining. This inquiry focused on young women in the neighborhood of Masxha, Cato Manor, and their opinions surrounding how condoms are being used or misused, as well as the gender norms that perpetrate this (mis)use. This inquiry demonstrated the narratives of these young women on factors such as condom acquisition, gendered stigma, and condom education, including the Life Orientation curriculum, ultimately leading to condom negotiation, a critical skill for condom use.
This inquiry was grounded in a narrative methodology approach to gain authenticity of opinions and lived reality for these young women. Using the principle that content and form are intrinsically connected, this inquiry examined how the opinions and narratives of these individuals are connected to emotion and experience, which influence knowledge and opinion. I conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with eight women in Masxha to hear these stories and opinions. These women described their opinions about several factors surrounding gendered condom use, and lived experiences shed light on these factors.
Exploring condom use in this community ultimately led to perceiving the factors of condom use as an uphill journey for these young women. The gender and sexuality norms that perpetuate difficulties in condom use for these young women represent the gravel path these women hike on their trek. The stigma that these women face for condom acquisition and use embodies a flowing stream that intersects the pebbled path of gender norms. Condom preference, such as brand preference, is the large, scattered boulders that follow the path up the hill. Education signifies a form of refuge for these women, offering solace and positive perceptions of condom users, aiding these women in the final stretch of their journey. Finally, condom negotiation represents the summit—the peak of the expedition—where the factors the women experienced throughout the climb culminates into a decision for or against condom use