Case Studies – envirobites

Conflicts between humans and leopards in India have increased in frequency over the past few decades, due to habitat fragmentation and a decrease in human tolerance towards wildlife. To assess the long-term effects of this conflict, researchers studied two distinct regions in India to track the opinions of local communities on leopards. The researchers compared local sentiment about leopards to records and found that local opinions are related to distance from leopard habitat and history of attacks: the region in which humans live in closest proximity to the leopards’ habitat (Pauri), has had many more attacks and people hold much more negative views towards leopards.

Case Studies Environmental Science Science through time

Global monitoring shows regulated atmospheric pollutants are not decreasing

April 19, 2019April 22, 2019 Lindsay Green-Gavrielidis 0 Comments air quality, chemical pollutants, man-made chemicals, public health

PFAS and VMS are man-made chemicals that have been used for decades in products that we all use on a daily basis, including personal care products, cookware, and food packing. However, there is growing evidence that these chemicals, which are widespread throughout the globe, can have negative impacts on living organisms and human health. A recent study compared concentrations of these chemicals in the atmosphere at sites across the world from 2009 to 2015. Their findings suggest that there has been a significant increase in PFAS in the atmosphere over this time period, while certain types of VMS chemicals also increased. Future monitoring efforts across the globe are necessary to determine the changes in these chemicals in the air we breathe.

Case Studies Environmental Science

Tiny Doctors: Cleaner Shrimp Heal Wounds and Aid in Sustainable Fish Production

April 8, 2019April 20, 2019 Laine Farber 0 Comments aquaculture, environmental science, fisheries, Sustainability

Throw out the antibiotics and bring in the shrimp! In a recent study, researchers at the Center for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture found cleaner shrimp to be an effective biologic control in preventing parasitic infestations in farm-raised fish.

Case Studies Climate Environmental Science

Frostbitten toads: Are cane toads adapting to the cold as they move northwards in Florida?

March 5, 2019March 5, 2019 Kevin Aviles Rodriguez 0 Comments Climate Change, Ecology, invasive species

How might animals respond to global climate change? A new study evaluates the northbound expansion of cane toads in Florida. Toads in northern Florida are tolerating freezing temperatures that are colder than they have previously been able to live in. Read on to find out how the cane toads tolerate freezing and what this teaches us about how other animals might respond to global climate change.

Case Studies Cities Environmental Science

Community and home gardens are hotspots for pollinators in cities

March 5, 2019March 7, 2019 Lindsay Green-Gavrielidis 0 Comments gardens, land use, pollinators, urban areas, urban management

Pollinators, such as bees, are important parts of the environment since they are required for plant success and fruit production by humans and animals alike. However, populations of pollinators have been declining worldwide due to a number of issues, including widespread pesticide use and loss of habitats. A recent study conducted by researchers in the UK and their colleagues examined pollinator use of urban areas, comparing community gardens, home gardens, cemeteries, and other spaces. The researchers show that the abundance and diversity of many pollinator groups was highest in community and home gardens, and suggest that urban planners should increase these spaces to boost pollinator populations.

Case Studies Climate Environmental Science

What counts as evidence? Local vs. research knowledge in the evidence-based policymaking movement

March 4, 2019March 5, 2019 Lushani Nanayakkara 0 Comments Evidence, Human dimensions, Sustainability

While evidence-based decision- and policy-making have become quite the buzzwords in recent decades, what constitutes ‘evidence’ in evidence-based is less straightforward. In this paper, Persson and colleagues help unpack the term evidence in the context of sustainability studies, discuss how scientific evidence sits at the top of the evidence hierarchy, and why ignoring local knowledge can be detrimental to sound decision- and policy-making. Additionally, they suggest an alternate model for considering both local and research knowledge to obtain a more holistic understanding of the subject matter at hand, which they argue may ultimately lead to more applicable and suitable decision- and policy-making.

Case Studies Climate Environmental Science

Genetics and bee conservation: telling the full story of a species’ decline

March 4, 2019March 4, 2019 Laura Schifman 0 Comments bees, BSC4052, Conservation, genetics, pollinators

We’ve all probably watched bees engage in pollination as they move from flower to flower collecting pollen. This process is essential to the reproduction of many plants, including crops. When most people think of pollinators, they think of the honey bee (Apis mellifera). However, more than 20,000 species of bees have been described—all of which are pollinators! In fact, honey bees are actually native to southeast Asia and have spread across the globe due to human activities, potentially competing with other bees. Despite the honey bee’s ubiquity and popularity, native bees are important pollinators because ecological adaptations that differ from those of honey bees. For example, the tongues of many native bees such as bumble bees can reach the nectar of longer flowers for pollination better than the honey bee.

Case Studies Environmental Science

Finding fish using their DNA

February 21, 2019February 21, 2019 Elizabeth Brannon 0 Comments Climate Change, Environmental DNA (eDNA), fish surveys, trawls

Traditionally the size of fish populations is estimated by towing nets off boats (trawling). Unfortunately trawling is expensive, time consuming, and only catches certain species. In this study Phillip Thomsen and his colleagues determine whether a new method known as environmental DNA (eDNA) can supplement or replace the use of trawling for fish surveys.

Case Studies Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health

Chagas Disease Eradication in Guatemala: An Example of Successful Cooperative Vector Control

January 30, 2019 Munim Deen 0 Comments Chagas Disease, human health, infectious diseases, public health, vectors

Large-scale cooperation from anyone for anything often seems out of reach. Large-scale cooperation from multiple government entities to control a disease vector and actually bring about a decline in the disease in one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere is a truly difficult goal. That is what’s happening in Guatemala in an attempt to control Chagas disease. Has any real progress been made?

Case Studies Cities Climate

Are your car’s windshield wipers helping your town’s stormwater management?

January 23, 2019January 27, 2019 Laura Schifman 0 Comments cars, cities, hydrology, precipitation, rain, stormwater, Weather

You decide to go out and run some errands on your day off, even though there is a chance of rain in the forecast. You are just starting your 30-minute walk back to your house and get caught in a torrential downpour. You are now forced to call a ride-share because you know the stream next to the path on your way back will likely flood and you would have to take the long way home. Once in the car, you are happy you do not have to walk in the rain. Little do you know, the car you are in may actually help improve rainfall maps and with that urban stormwater management. How? The car’s windshield wipers are turned on!

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