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Investigating The Impact of Land Use on Avian Diversity and Abundance in Areas Surrounding Mabamba Swamp, Uganda
Get PDFThe primary objective of this study was to investigate the impact of wetland-adjacent land use on avian species richness and abundance areas surrounding Mabamba Swamp, Uganda. Four types of land use were investigated: Eucalyptus plantations, wetland-edge agricultural fields, residential areas, and mature secondary forests. A total of 40-morning point counts were conducted for ten days in late November and late December of 2021. One-way ANOVA tests and Tukey’s HSD tests revealed significant differences in mean avian richness and abundance between all sites except residential areas and Nkima Forest. Additionally, Nkima Forest was found to contain the most number of specialist species. Findings indicate that habitat complexity is an important driver of avian richness and that Eucalyptus plantations and monoculture agricultural fields significantly limit local avian biodiversity. Findings have the potential to inform the conservation and regulation of wetland-adjacent resource use
Constructed Memories: A Study of how the Arts and the National Museum Operate Within Power Structures and State Interests in Postcolonial Morocco
Get PDFThe Moroccan national museum as an institution has a long and complicated history. A product of colonialism, the state has historically used the museum, and the art housed within it, to construct narratives of progress and images of modernization. Doing so is largely at the expense of contemporary artists who have long been neglected by the state and failed by the museum. This paper will communicate how museums, art, and the state intersect in postcolonial Morocco. The paper will examine the inner workings of the Mohammed VI National Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat, attempting to contextualize the space into this larger narrative of state power structures in relation to the arts. The paper, grounded in anthropological theory and ethnographic fieldwork, will convey the lived experiences of people with whom this topic is central to their lives
An Eventful Past Predicting a Bizarre Future: Assessing the Influence of Ocean Circulation on Key Fish Species in Icelandic Waters. An analysis of past circulation records in order to predict the state of demersal fish stocks in future climate scenarios
Get PDFFeedback-driven changes in North Atlantic Ocean circulation are affecting marine ecosystems off the coast of Iceland and are predicted to have differing outcomes by 2100. In this study, data reflecting Icelandic fish stock distributions was compiled on a map with oceanographic temperature and depth in order to observe patterns of population changes with changes in ocean currents. After evaluating past temperature effects on demersal fish stocks, future habitat predictions were estimated in weaker ocean circulation scenarios. A number of assumptions were made in order to pinpoint a correlation between ocean temperature and fish habitat. Iceland’s unique location and climate offers researchers a chance to analyze changes in marine ecosystems that could see an uncharacteristic drop in temperature. Thus, the purpose of this study is to use maps to make inferences regarding oceanographic patterns, then use the inferences to hypothesize what the future may hold. In this study, fishing data on 4 unique demersal fish species from the past 19 years was compiled on a map in coordination with oceanic conditions within Iceland’s waters. A key hope is that future research will delve into studying the magnitude of atmospheric and oceanographic systems in manipulating Iceland’s marine ecosystems. With this, more permanent circulation records in the future can shed light on the island’s environmental response to changes in climate. In the study, the results revealed that ocean conditions and fish habitats appear to be affected by ocean circulation habits, however it is difficult to accurately predict a future environmental state
Comparación entre las percepciones médicas y psicológicas de la diabetes tipo 2 y la tuberculosis en el Ecuador
No full textResearch Question: What are the differences and similarities between the perceptions of the medical and psychological management of both type 2 diabetes and tuberculosis? Objectives: The principal objective of this study is to understand the perceptions behind DM2 and TB as well as how these perceptions affect the care of these diseases. Secondary objectives are to define the epidemiological transition, describe the medical and psychological management and care of DM2 and TB, analyze how the people perceive the management and psychological care of DM2 and TB, and analyze the comparison of the perceptions of both diseases. Background: The epidemiological transition reflects the change in mortality from infectious diseases to modern preventable diseases. Chronic diseases, metabolic syndromes, and other modern conditions are totally preventive. However, there are many people in the country who are diagnosed with these chronic diseases, especially DM2. On the other hand, TB is a disease that has a long history and continues to affect some populations in developing countries. By comparing the way people perceive these two diseases, we can understand how culture affects the management of different diseases. Methodology: This study was a descriptive qualitative and quantitative study. Qualitative data was collected through structured interviews and analyzed through a phenomenological-hermeneutical framework. Quantitative data was also collected through a survey using Likert Scale responses (5 options; most agreement to lease agreement) and was analyzed statistically by a Wilcoxon non-parametric test and linear effects model. In total, 7 medical doctors and psychologists were interviewed and asked to fill out the survey. Non-medical professionals also had the opportunity to answer the survey. Results: Perceptions between diabetes and tuberculosis differed based on interviews and survey questions. Participants expressed that there are certain cultural, behavioral, and socioeconomic factors that affect the management and care of both diabetes and tuberculosis. These factors play a role in how the public health system supports patients with these diseases and how different the general population views these patients. Education, socioeconomic status, and health access all play a role in how these two diseases are treated and perceived.
Pregunta de investigación: ¿Cuáles son las diferencias y similitudes entre las percepciones del manejo médico y psicológico de la diabetes tipo 2 y la tuberculosis? Objetivos: El objetivo principal de este estudio fue comprender las percepciones detrás de la DM2 y la TB, así como cómo estas percepciones afectan la atención de estas enfermedades. Los objetivos secundarios son definir la transición epidemiológica, describir y analizar el manejo y cuidado médico y psicológico de la DM2 y la TB, y analizar la comparación de las percepciones de ambas enfermedades. Antecedentes: La transición epidemiológica refleja el cambio de mortalidad de enfermedades infecciosas a las enfermedades modernas prevenibles. Las enfermedades crónicas, síndromes metabólicos, y otras condiciones modernas son totalmente preventivas. Sin embargo, hay muchas personas en el país que son diagnosticadas con estas enfermedades crónicas, especialmente con la DM2. Por el otro lado, la tuberculosis es una enfermedad que tiene una larga historia y continúa afectando a algunas poblaciones en los países en desarrollo. Al comparar la forma en que las personas perciben estas dos enfermedades, podemos comprender cómo la cultura afecta el manejo de diferentes enfermedades. Metodología: Este estudio fue un estudio descriptivo cualitativo y cuantitativo. Los datos cualitativos se recolectaron a través de entrevistas estructuradas y se analizaron a través de un marco fenomenológico-hermenéutico. Por otro lado, los datos cuantitativos se recopilaron a través de una encuesta en la que se formularon preguntas que se podían responder utilizando respuestas de escala Likert (5 opciones; ‘fuertemente de acuerdo’ a ‘fuertemente en desacuerdo’) y se analizaron estadísticamente usando un análisis Wilcoxon y modelo de efectos lineares. En total, se entrevistó a 7 médicos y psicólogos y se les pidió que completaran la encuesta. Los no profesionales médicos también tuvieron la oportunidad de completar la encuesta. Resultados: Hubo diferencias entra las percepciones entre diabetes y tuberculosis según las entrevistas y las preguntas de la encuesta. Los participantes expresaron que existen ciertos factores culturales, socioeconómicos, comportamientos que afectan la atención tanto de la diabetes como de la tuberculosis. Estos factores influyen la forma en que el sistema de salud pública apoya a los pacientes con estas enfermedades y en las diferencias que tiene la población general con respecto a estos pacientes. La educación, el nivel socioeconómico, y el acceso a la salud influyen en la forma en que se tratan y perciben estas dos enfermedades
Science is for Everybody: A resource for understanding glaciers, climate, and modeling
Get PDFClimate change threatens the existence of glaciers worldwide. In order to properly interact with these changing systems, we must first understand them. Glacial models provide an excellent way to do this; however, the language and mathematical concepts used in their creation is generally inaccessible to a common audience. This project presents an online resource for a general audience to interact with climate science, glaciology, and glacial modeling. Long term goals for the project include the incorporation of a glacial model of Drangajökull, Vestfirðir, NW Iceland. As such, focus for the project includes a literature review of glaciers, Drangajökull in particular, climate science, and mathematical modeling (as related to glaciers). In an effort to increase accessibility, plain language is prioritized over specific vocabulary, being careful not to reduce clarity or present false information. Results can be found at glaciersite.webflow.io
APICULTURE ADAPTATIONS IN A SHIFTING WORLD: THE BEEKEEPER’S EXPERIENCE ACROSS THE GLOBE
Get PDFExisting research suggests that changes in climate, such as rainfall and temperature shifts, will threaten bees’ main food sources and cause detrimental impacts on apiculture globally. Despite this, to the best of the author’s knowledge, there is little available by way of research relating to how beekeepers themselves experience these increased pressures to their practices. This research project investigated the experiences of beekeepers in the United States, Malawi, and Cameroon. Surveys of US beekeepers, and interviews with Malawian and Cameroonian beekeepers were coded for emergent themes and surveys were analyzed via descriptive statistics. Major differences in challenges reported by beekeepers in the United States and Sub-Saharan Africa included a higher incidence of disease and pest prevalence in the US, and more issues surrounding resource and materials access in Malawi and Cameroon. Survey and interview observations on temperature and precipitation contained common emergent themes such as climate “unpredictability” and “extreme” weather events paired with adaptations including supplementary feeding, hive construction and placement alterations, temporal shifts in practices, and increased monitoring techniques. As pollinators such as honey bees are essential to food systems and biodiversity across the globe, all practices to promote the health of managed bee populations are to be encouraged. Beekeeping adaptation may be vital to ensuring continued pollination services, for which demands are expected to increase in the future landscape of agriculture. For these reasons the global community would benefit from more cross-cultural exchange of methods to practice beekeeping sustainably, and in-depth research into the adaptation themes uncovered in this study
Political Processes of Displacement in Infrastructure Development: the Case of Aldeia da Luz and the Alqueva Dam
Get PDFIn 2002, the residents of Aldeia da Luz left their village for the final time, displaced to make room for the Alqueva Dam, a massive regional hydropower and irrigation project almost half a century in the making. The Alqueva Multipurpose Project was marketed by the Portuguese government as a way to develop the impoverished region of the Alentejo and bring innovation to the agricultural sector. The village of Luz was the only physical obstacle to this goal and, therefore, its residents were dispossessed, sacrificed for the development of the greater Alentejo region. However, unlike many other large-scale infrastructure projects that displace populations, the developers of the dam attempted to compensate the residents by reconstructing the village elsewhere. Through analysis of the diverging discourses on the dam and the displacement of Luz this paper compares and examines the perspectives of the residents of Luz, government officials, and residents of the greater Alentejo region on the Alqueva Dam and the displacement of Luz. Using archival news recordings, video testimony, transcribed interviews, and documentary footage, this paper analyzes the displacement of Luz through a lens of critical environmental justice and the Marxist concept of accumulation by dispossession. The application of critical environmental justice and the concept of accumulation by dispossession show that existing distributive and procedural justice mechanisms failed to adequately protect the residents of Luz or prevent developers from benefiting from their dispossession. As Portugal, and the world at large, transitions to renewable energy, these lessons from the displacement of Aldeia da Luz are critical to learn from in order to prevent the further reproduction of unequal power dynamics in future renewable infrastructure projects
CBOs as a Tool for Sustainable Community Development: The Case in Kapchorwa
Get PDFThe purpose of this research was to assess the ability of Community Based Organizations, or CBOs, in the Kapchorwa District of Uganda to create long-term and sustainable community development that meets the needs of their community. To provide the necessary context for the study, I conducted a literature review of poverty in Uganda, theory in sustainable and community development, the connection of CBOs to sustainable community development, challenges and strengths for CBOs, and the general context of the structure of and the regulations for a CBO in Uganda.
The participants in the research were members of CBOs in the Kapchorwa District of Uganda. I particularly selected three CBOs to research. Other participants were community members in the villages of the selected CBOs who were not members of the groups, as well as LC1s, CDOs, and a representative from KACSOA. The primary methods used were focus group discussions and key informant interviews. These provided the researcher with insight into the inner workings of CBOs, the impacts these had and perceptions of the community, and some perspectives of local government and NGO workers. Particularly, these methods allowed the researcher to emphasize the perspective of the community and those leading community-based development initiatives.
The main findings of the research found that CBOs are essential components of truly sustainable community development due to their grassroots nature. However, due to limitations in capacity and organization, CBOs are more often than not failing to live up to this potential. The main challenges are due to internal structure, lack of capacity, lack of capital, and disorganized objectives and purpose. Recommendations are presented to provide CBOs with tools to become more successful in the long-term, which is possible, as demonstrated by the findings
Alienation of Labor or Alienation of Self: Perceptions of Hospitality Labor and Economic Development in Morocco
Get PDFThis work explores the relationship between a nation’s economic shift to hospitality labor and a lower standard of living among the working class in said country. Specifically, the Moroccan economy’s gradual increased reliance on service labor, particularly within the tourism industry. Standard of living in this work will be centered around wellbeing understood through vocational fulfillment and perceptions of hospitality labor among service workers. In order to evaluate the standard of living among the working class, this work will utilize a comparative assessment of key interviews from three key sectors of the hospitality labor force: autonomist, alienated, and hospitality adjacent labor. All cases illuminated important aspects of service labor perceptions with unique values within each case interview. While alienated labor participants expressed a desire to withdraw from the industry due to a lack of vocational fulfillment, there was also a commonality of underemployment among their heavily university educated population. Hospitality adjacent and autonomist labor expressed a feeling of value that came with the multicultural connections through the tourism industry’s propensity of international exchange. Despite all cases having a similar value in cross-cultural connection, the lack of skilled labor opportunities for university educated working class does not get addressed by an increase in tourism investment, thus causing an increased alienated labor population. This research takes thorough consideration of prior scholarly work done on economic development through tourism enhancement throughout the Global South, particularly in Morocco
Exploring Accessible & Responsive Trauma-Informed Schools: A Regenerative Approach to Student & Educator Support
Get PDFYoung people are particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of stress and trauma. This research explores educator perspectives of school-based trauma-informed care programs in order to understand how programs can become more accessible and culturally responsive. While there are several widely used guidelines for school-based trauma-informed care programs that seek to mitigate trauma and its effects in the classroom, there is not a universally accepted standard. As such, programs vary across settings. This study employed a mixed-methods strategy to survey and interview educators and care providers regarding factors that may limit or enhance the availability of, access to, and appropriateness of trauma-informed care in schools. Interest in trauma-informed practices, quality and quantity of training received, availability of resources, responsiveness of interventions to feedback, and support from school leadership were among the aspects of trauma-informed care implementation that were explored. Results suggest that perceptions of program implementation vary depending on the particular roles of participants in their schools, as well as whether trauma-informed care initiatives are motivated mostly by individual faculty or by school or district leadership. Conclusions included the importance of positive relationships among program stakeholders and the need to dedicate sufficient time for program design and implementation.
Keywords: trauma-informed care, trauma-informed schools, social-emotional learning, school mental health, cultural responsiveness, educational policy, community health, wellnes