Issues
2010 - Volume 39
Cover Caption: (Click cover for a larger view, close it to return to this page)
University of Rhode Island graduate students Ronan Roche and Erika Lentz monitoring migratory shorebirds at Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge in Chatham, MA. They are trainees in the University of Rhode Island Coastal Institute IGERT project. See the article by August et al., "The T Assessment Tool: A Simple Metric for Assessing Multidisciplinary Graduate Education," JNRLSE 39:15-21. Photo Credit: URI Coastal Institute.
P. 70 Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor
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P. 63 - 69 Article
doi:10.4195/jnrlse.2009.0042
Riparian Areas of the Southwest: Learning from Repeat Photographs
George N. Zaimes* and Michael A. Crimmins
Spatial and temporal variability of riparian areas, as well as potential impacts from climate change, are concepts that land and water managers and stakeholders need to understand to effectively manage and protect riparian areas. Rapid population growth in the southwestern United States, and multiple-use designation of most riparian areas, makes understanding these concepts even more important. To assist in this endeavor, the Watershed/Riparian and Climate Science Extension programs at the University of Arizona developed two experiential learning exercises with repeat photographs of riparian areas. Experiential learning is the process of learning from direct experiences; repeat photography, a tool for long-term monitoring, provides visual details of landscapes across large temporal scales. The goal of the exercises was to increase the participant’s knowledge on certain topics through active participation, communication, problem-based learning, critical thinking, and empowerment. The first exercise examined precipitation, stream flow, and potential climate change impacts on riparian areas. The second exercise investigated how riparian areas change around the state of Arizona and through time while trying to understand the factors that cause these changes. The participants’ evaluations indicate that their knowledge level increased after conducting the exercises. In addition, the exercises are a more pleasant way of learning than the traditional teaching methods. These exercises were specific to the southwestern United States but could easily be adapted by extension professionals in other regions of the United States as well as for university courses. The plethora of repeat photographs is an unexploited resource that should be utilized for educational purposes.
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P. 53 - 62 Article
doi:10.4195/jnrlse.2009.0027
Sage-Grouse and Coal-Bed Methane: Can They Coexist within the Powder River Basin?
Michael B. Duncan*
Concerns are growing regarding the availability of sustainable energy sources due to a rapidly growing human population and a better understanding of climate change. In recent years, the United States has focused much attention on developing domestic energy sources, which include coal-bed methane (CBM). There are vast deposits of the natural gas within the Powder River Basin (PRB), Wyoming. A sharp increase in exploration and development of CBM in the region has led to a decline in the surrounding greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations in developed areas. This case study presents the issues surrounding CBM development and sage-grouse conservation within the PRB and provides instructors with online resources and classroom activities that can be used to stimulate and develop students’ active learning and critical thinking skills.
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P. 49 - 52 Student Essays
doi:10.4195/jnrlse.2010.0003se
Ruminant Grazing of Cover Crops: Effects on Soil Properties and Agricultural Production
Hanna Poffenbarger*
Integrating livestock into a cropping system by allowing ruminant animals to graze cover crops may yield economic and environmental benefits. The effects of grazing on soil physical properties, soil organic matter, nitrogen cycling and agricultural production are presented in this literature review. The review found that grazing cover crops generally led to increased bulk density, especially in no-till systems. On the other hand, the negative effects of grazing on penetration resistance and aggregate stability were more prominent under conventional tillage than no-till. The deleterious effects of grazing on soil physical properties were most severe when grazing was implemented at high intensity and on wet soils. Microbial biomass C was higher under grazed conditions than ungrazed conditions. Nitrogen was found to be higher when cover crops were grazed than not grazed; however, this was only true for conventional tillage systems. Generally, grazing cover crops did not negatively affect primary crop yields. Cover crops provided nutritious forage for cattle and reduced feed costs by offsetting the use of hay or other pasture.
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P. 45 - 48 Student Essays
doi:10.4195/jnrlse.2010.0002se
Organic Matter Application Can Reduce Copper Toxicity in Tomato Plants
Brian Campbell*
Copper fungicides and bactericides are often used in tomato cultivation and can cause toxic Cu levels in soils. In order to combat this, organic matter can be applied to induce chelation reactions and form a soluble complex by which much of the Cu can leach out of the soil profile or be taken up safely by plants. Organic acids such as citric, fulvic, and malic acids are contained in organic matter, and complex well with Cu. Both the chelation reaction and the effectiveness of soil organic matter in the chelating process are pH dependent, and generally a more alkaline soil will be less affected by high Cu levels. In addition to organic matter application, lime may also be added in order to raise the pH and aid the process by which Cu is removed. Other benefits are also derived from soil organic matter application in addition to soil remediation. Organic matter improves soil structure, exchange capacity, and water holding content. Application of organic matter is thus a viable option for restoring toxic Cu soils.
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P. 40 - 44 Student Essays
doi:10.4195/jnrlse.2010.0001se
Wastewater Phosphorus Removal by Two Different Types of Andesitic Volcanic Tephra
Amanda M. Liesch*
Phosphorus (P) is the limiting nutrient controlling productivity in most inland freshwater systems. Several materials have been proposed for use to remove excess P from wastewater treatment, including volcanic lapilli and ash (tephra). There is limited data in using tephra as a P filter. There were two objectives of this study: 1) to determine the physical feasibility of tephra as a filter making sure the infiltration rate remains high enough to use under prolonged saturation, and 2) to test the suitability of volcanic tephra as a medium for removing P from an artificial solution on two different volcanic tephra materials: Okato and Papakai tephra. The experiment used a synthetic P influent solution (20.5 mg P/L) and a solution residence time in the columns of approximately 3 hours. By the end of the experiment infiltration in both tephras was adequate for use in wastewater treatment systems. The Okato tephra absorbed nearly 8 mg P/g tephra with 97% of the total amount of P added to the column over a 54 day period. The Papakai tephra absorbed only 4 mg P/g with a 52% of the total P added to the column.
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P. 31 - 39 Notes
OPEN ACCESS
doi:10.4195/jnrlse.2009.0017n
Enhancing Undergraduate Agro-Ecological Laboratory Employment through Experiential Learning
J. M. Grossman,* M. Patel, and L. E. Drinkwater
We piloted an educational model, the Sustainable Agriculture Scholars Program, linking research in organic agriculture to experiential learning activities for summer undergraduate employees in 2007 and 2008. Our objectives were to: (1) further student understanding of sustainable agriculture research, (2) increase student interest in sustainable agriculture careers, and (3) use community service as a vehicle for learning. The three learning environments were on-farm and laboratory research settings, weekly meetings and field trips to discuss research and observe farming practices, and a service-learning project. We collected feedback from participants through a post-program focus-group style evaluation in Year 1 and pre/post individual evaluations with participants and a non-participant comparison group in Year 2. Students learned about linkages between research and practice within all environments. Farm visits were the primary learning site, specifically through observations of sustainable agriculture practices related to lab work and interactions with farmers. Students described how farm visits made lab work relevant; however, there were few instances describing how lab work was relevant to farming communities. Our preliminary findings from this pilot study suggest that participation in the program led to increased interest in sustainable agriculture careers and increased desire to pursue research in some students.
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P. 22 - 30 Undergraduate Education
doi:10.4195/jnrlse.2009.0024u
Exploring Photosynthesis and Plant Stress Using Inexpensive Chlorophyll Fluorometers
Stephen Cessna,* Barbara Demmig-Adams, and William W. Adams III
Mastering the concept of photosynthesis is of critical importance to learning plant physiology and its applications, but seems to be one of the more challenging concepts in biology. This teaching challenge is no doubt compounded by the complexity by which plants alter photosynthesis in different environments. Here we suggest the use of chlorophyll fluorometers in the undergraduate plant physiology classroom as one means to enhance conceptual learning of photosynthesis and its acclimation to changing environments. We also provide an overview of current research in photosynthetic acclimation to changing conditions, review the methodological considerations of making good Fv/Fm measurements with small inexpensive fluorometers, and suggest an open-inquiry activity for teaching concepts of photosynthesis and photo-acclimation with fluorometers in an undergraduate plant physiology course.
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P. 15 - 21 Article
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doi:10.4195/jnrlse.2009.0004
The T Assessment Tool: A Simple Metric for Assessing Multidisciplinary Graduate Education
P. V. August,* J. M. Swift, D. Q. Kellogg, G. Page, P. Nelson, J. Opaluch, J. S. Cobb, C. Foster, and A.J. Gold
Although there is considerable activity in developing assessment protocols for undergraduate learning, there are few established models for assessment of student progress in multidisciplinary doctoral-level graduate education. To resolve this impediment in tracking graduate student development, we created a simple assessment tool based on the concept of T competency that allows graduate students to articulate explicit learning goals in disciplinary and multidisciplinary research. Our instrument allows quantitative measurement of a student’s self-perception of his/her knowledge and interest in multidisciplinary inquiry. We use our T assessment tool to measure graduate student progress in an NSF IGERT-funded graduate program in coastal ecosystem management. The T model provides us a nomenclature to articulate learning goals, a quantitative means to evaluate current and future learning targets and progress in reaching those targets, and gives us another measure of assessing overall graduate program effectiveness. Our T tool is an instrument that should have considerable utility in measuring knowledge and interest in multidisciplinary research across a range of disciplines and graduate programs.
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P. 10 - 14 K-12 Education
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doi:10.4195/jnrlse.2008.0040k
A Culturally Relevant Agricultural and Environmental Course for K-12 Teachers in Hawaii
Traci Sylva,* Pauline Chinn, and Charles Kinoshita
A Hawaiian cultural-based agricultural and environmental science professional development course was transformed based on the precepts of situated learning in communities of practice, and offered to K-12 teachers. In this article we describe the format and content of the transformed course based on lessons learned from previous years offered to K-12 teachers. We also describe the teachers’ responses to the course and students’ response to curricula implemented by teachers. Hawaiian ways of learning are experience-based, embedded in real-life purpose and context, highly interpersonal, and location specific. Our goal in transforming this course was to help teachers to incorporate important topics related to the environmental and agriculture science fields into their curricula, and to make that content relevant to their students’ lives and backgrounds, especially those of native Hawaiian decent. Based on observations, written and oral evaluations from teachers, student assessments, and student involvement in community projects, we feel that we have attained that goal. Some of the important factors for effective learning and implementation of this new culture–science curriculum by teachers are: (1) culturally relevant course format that provides meaningful, effective social interactions among instructors and teachers/students; (2) development of a “community of practice”; (3) a team of instructors, each knowledgeable in different areas, such as science, agriculture, Hawaiian culture, all experienced in problem-based teaching; (4) excellent models of problem-based and culturally based projects/curricula; and (5) continued support from peers and instructional team throughout the academic year.
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P. 1 - 9 Undergraduate Education
doi:10.4195/jnrlse.2008.0027u
A Computer-Based Simulation for Teaching Heat Transfer across a Woody Stem
Michael R. Maixner,* Robert K. Noyd, and Jerome A. Krueger
To assist student understanding of heat transfer through woody stems, we developed an instructional package that included an Excel-based, one-dimensional simulation model and a companion instructional worksheet. Guiding undergraduate botany students to applying principles of thermodynamics to plants in nature is fraught with two main obstacles: (1) students have a limited knowledge of heat transfer fundamentals, and (2) the highly complex and cognitively demanding analysis of the plant thermal environment. To provide the necessary background, reduce the complexity, and allow students to process information in a step-wise fashion, the computer simulation permits students to vary heat transfer properties for the bark and xylem, along with lateral stem dimensions, to visualize the resulting diurnal transient radial temperature distribution throughout the stem. Additionally, the maximum cambial temperature excursion could be visualized, along with the phase difference between the cambial temperature and the outer bark temperature at any time. A paper-based instructional worksheet guides students through a series of questions and leads them through the learning process. They acquire basic concepts of heat transfer and apply their observations to ecophysiological conditions such as heat stress on saplings, the insulative value of bark, and the impact of fire on the cambium. Anecdotal evidence indicated that the computer simulation proved to be a valuable tool for students because it reinforced woody stem structure and placed it into context of a tree’s physiological response to temperature.
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P. TBA Editorial Board Minutes
Editorial Board Minutes
Editorial Board Minutes, Pittsburgh, PA - 2009
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P. TBA New Media Received
New Media Received
Crazy Like a Fox: One Principal’s Triumph in the Inner City
Doing Science: Design, Analysis and Communication of Scientific Research, 2nd edition
The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries
Hill Country Landowner’s Guide Number 44: Louise Lindsey Merrick Natural Environment Series)
Planted Flags: Trees, Land and Law in Israel/Palestine
Texas Cacti
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P. TBA List of Reviewers
List of Reviewers
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