Article
Engineering, Environmental
Guillermo Pardo, Raquel Casas, Agustin del Prado, Pablo Manzano
Summary: This study analyzed transhumance using LCA approaches and found that it has lower emissions compared to sedentary livestock systems. The study also highlighted the importance of considering natural emission baselines in grazing systems.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Claire Deleglise, Hugues Francois, Hermann Dodier, Emilie Crouzat, Raphaelle Samacoits, Samuel Morin, Frederic Bray, Baptiste Nettier
Summary: This study aims to quantify the potential impact of climate risks on alpages in the French Alps and provides a detailed classification of agro-climatic profiles. The findings can assist agro-pastoral actors in adapting to the risks brought by climate change.
AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Claudia Troiano, Maria Buglione, Simona Petrelli, Sofia Belardinelli, Antonino De Natale, Jens-Christian Svenning, Domenico Fulgione
Summary: Mediterranean mountain landscapes are experiencing widespread abandonment, leading to the loss of traditional land use practices and impacting biodiversity. Traditional livestock grazing can be a valuable tool for maintaining high biological and cultural diversity, but stronger cooperation and attention to local needs are necessary.
Article
Demography
Ingrid Boas
Summary: This paper examines how mobile technologies shape the diversification of pastoralist herding practices in response to socio-climatic change. It shows that through the use of basic phones, smartphones and social media, pastoralists in the Kenyan Laikipia Highlands are able to navigate the challenges they face and reshape their herding practices. This enables them to adapt to the complex socio-climatic limitations imposed on their livestock mobility.
JOURNAL OF ETHNIC AND MIGRATION STUDIES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ngoako Letsoalo, Igshaan Samuels, Clement Cupido, Khululiwe Ntombela, Andiswa Finca, Jodene Foster, Julius Tjelele, Richard Knight
Summary: This study aimed to document the effects of drought on livestock farming in the Karoo region of South Africa and the strategies used by farmers to reduce the risks of drought. The findings showed that coping and adaptation strategies adopted by farmers in the two biomes were largely similar.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2023)
Article
Development Studies
Julio C. Postigo
Summary: Andean indigenous communities have a long history of dealing with water threats, but anthropogenic climate change and increased water demand have turned these challenges into serious hazards. A study of Peruvian indigenous pastoralists found that their adaptive responses to climate-change induced water threats include creating wetlands and moving livestock. Supported by dynamic institutions and local knowledge, these communities collaborate and innovate to enhance the resilience of their social-ecological systems in the face of water hazards.
CLIMATE AND DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Matilde Maria Passamonti, Elisa Somenzi, Mario Barbato, Giovanni Chillemi, Licia Colli, Stephane Joost, Marco Milanesi, Riccardo Negrini, Monia Santini, Elia Vajana, John Lewis Williams, Paolo Ajmone-Marsan
Summary: Livestock, domesticated in specific regions, have adapted to diverse environments worldwide. Climate change is affecting livestock welfare and productivity, with genomic studies exploring genes for adaptation. Advances in genomics, population genetics, and landscape genomics are providing insights into the interactions between genetics and the environment, leading to more efficient breeding strategies.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter Tyrrell, Irene Amoke, Koen Betjes, Femke Broekhuis, Robert Buitenwerf, Sarah Carroll, Nathan Hahn, Daniel Haywood, Britt Klaassen, Mette Lovschal, David Macdonald, Karen Maiyo, Hellen Mbithi, Nelson Mwangi, Churchil Ochola, Erick Odire, Victoria Ondrusek, Junior Ratemo, Frank Pope, Samantha Russell, Wilson Sairowua, Kiptoo Sigilai, Jared A. Stabach, Jens-Christian Svenning, Elizabeth Stone, Johan T. du Toit, Guy Western, George Wittemyer, Jake Wall
Summary: The savannas of the Kenya-Tanzania borderland are important for biodiversity conservation and support a large number of pastoralists and their livestock. However, the ongoing fragmentation of natural vegetation by smallholder fencing and agricultural expansion threatens this social-ecological system. In this study, data from multiple sources were synthesized to create a spatial-temporal database, providing valuable information for ecological research, conservation, livestock management, and spatial planning.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Girma Asefa Bogale, Zelalem Bekeko Erena
Summary: Drought is a severe natural disaster that causes economic hardships and stress for farmers and local economies, including productivity loss, population reduction, and livestock and crop damage. In Ethiopia, pastoralists on the border with Kenya and Somalia have suffered greatly from drought, resulting in high cattle mortality rates and mass migration. Developing drought adaptation and mitigation measures based on geography and livestock systems may improve the situation.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Carrie Ripkey, Peter D. Little, Paula Dominguez-Salas, Joyce Kinabo, Akwilina Mwanri, Amy Webb Girard
Summary: African pastoralists are experiencing significant changes in their livelihood strategies, shifting from mobile pastoralism to agro-pastoralism combined with wage labor and petty trade. The co-occurring processes of increased climate variability and sedentarization among pastoralists in East Africa have dramatic impacts on economic prosperity, health status, and nutritional outcomes within communities. Land tenure policies allowing the continued practice of highly mobile livelihood strategies, such as legal recognition of collective land rights, should be adopted to mitigate risks associated with climate variability and sedentarization.
GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY-AGRICULTURE POLICY ECONOMICS AND ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Review
Development Studies
Greta Semplici, Tom Campbell
Summary: This article reviews the history of rural politics and development in East African drylands, particularly in Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands, in the context of climate change. The author criticizes the renewed international and national attention to the drylands under the framework of 'resilience building,' highlighting the tensions between climate change policies and local knowledge and practices. The article suggests that learning from pastoral practices can provide alternative theoretical and policy options.
CLIMATE AND DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Eneko Arrondo, Jorgelina Guido, Pilar Oliva-Vidal, Antoni Margalida, Sergio A. Lambertucci, Jose Antonio Donazarb, Ainara Cortes-Avizanda, Jose Daniel Anadon, Jose Antonio Sanchez-Zapata
Summary: Transhumance is the practice of seasonal movement of herds between winter and summer pastures, which has significant effects on ecosystem functions. This study examined the relationship between vultures and transhumant herds, and investigated whether there is a shift in vulture’s use of space due to the decline of transhumance. The findings showed that vultures make greater use of summer pastures when herds are present, and this effect is more prominent in areas where transhumance is still relevant.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Adane Kebede Gebeyehu, Ben G. J. S. Sonneveld, Denyse J. Snelder
Summary: This study analyzes the supply-demand relationships for livestock herds among the Nyangatom in South Omo, Ethiopia, identifying seasonal and location-specific 'hotspots' where fodder demand exceeds supply. It highlights the challenges faced and proposes solutions to ensure sustainable rangeland management and food security for the agro-pastoralists.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Michael MacLeod, Ben Henderson, Felix Teillard, Wamalwa Kinyanjui, Fisseha Tadesse, Lee Cando, Clark Halpern, Leah A. Germer, Pierre J. Gerber
Summary: This research develops a model to assess the effects of four measures (Index-based livestock insurance, Commercial destocking with an early warning system, Rangeland restoration, Fodder planting) on the resilience of pastoral/agro-pastoral systems. It finds that destocking with an early warning system provides the biggest increases in production and profit.
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
(2023)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Amira A. Goma, Clive J. C. Phillips
Summary: Egypt is one of the hottest countries in the world, and as temperatures rise due to climate change, livestock production, particularly milk availability per person, is expected to decrease significantly. Mitigation strategies such as shifting towards plant-based foods and lab-grown animal products are essential to ensure food security for a growing human population in Egypt.
Article
Biology
Ben G. Weinstein, Sergio Marconi, Stephanie A. Bohlman, Alina Zare, Aditya Singh, Sarah J. Graves, Ethan P. White
Summary: By utilizing remote sensing techniques and deep learning methods, researchers conducted individual-level crown estimates for 100 million trees at 37 sites across the United States. This open-source dataset has the potential to significantly expand individual-level research on trees in the United States.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
M. Arasumani, Aditya Singh, Milind Bunyan, V. V. Robin
Summary: In this study, the accuracy of three satellite and airborne remote sensing sensors and three machine learning classification algorithms was assessed to identify the spatial extent of native habitats and invasive tree species, with AVIRIS-NG data combined with SVM proving the most accurate. The hyperspectral data was the only sensor that permitted distinguishing recent invasions with high precision, highlighting the importance of selecting appropriate sensors for mapping invasive species.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2021)
Article
Remote Sensing
Nanfeng Liu, Matthew Garcia, Aditya Singh, John D. J. Clare, Jennifer L. Stenglein, Benjamin Zuckerberg, Eric L. Kruger, Philip A. Townsend
Summary: Using the Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera network for plant phenology monitoring is efficient. There are differences in phenological offset between understory and overstory vegetation in different forest types, and factors influencing phenology are varied.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED EARTH OBSERVATION AND GEOINFORMATION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Philip A. Townsend, John D. J. Clare, Nanfeng Liu, Jennifer L. Stenglein, Christine Anhalt-Depies, Timothy R. Van Deelen, Neil A. Gilbert, Aditya Singh, Karl J. Martin, Benjamin Zuckerberg
Summary: Biological data collection is evolving with the use of community science, satellite remote sensing, and local forms of remote sensing. Snapshot Wisconsin is an example of a jurisdictional observation network that links environmental data from SRS with biodiversity observations to support management decision-making. This network improves spatial, temporal, and biological resolution for management support, contributing novel lines of evidence useful for corroboration.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ben G. Weinstein, Sarah J. Graves, Sergio Marconi, Aditya Singh, Alina Zare, Dylan Stewart, Stephanie A. Bohlman, Ethan P. White
Summary: The study established a benchmark dataset to evaluate crown detection and delineation methods for canopy trees in dominant forest types in the United States, consisting of thousands of image-annotated crowns and field-annotated crowns, as well as training crowns. Standardizing evaluation metrics helped streamline comparisons between different methods.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Hayden D. Hedman, Lixin Zhang, Bilal Butt, Priscila Papias, James A. Trostle, Joseph N. S. Eisenberg
Summary: The study suggests that intensive small-scale poultry farming can be highly vulnerable to environmental stressors in the absence of proper support, posing challenges to the operators. Additionally, households may inaccurately report poultry survivorship, leading to inaccurate assessment of the effectiveness of aid programs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Julie A. Peeling, Aditya Singh, Jasmeet Judge
Summary: This study investigates the influences of regional-scale bioclimatology and local-scale anthropogenic factors on land cover and environmental change in Ghana. The results show that urban expansion has significant effects on deforestation and vegetation loss in urban and peri-urban areas.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Roshan Krishnan, Bilal Butt
Summary: Electric vehicles are seen as crucial in the U.S. shift towards a green economy fueled by renewable energy, but research has shown negative impacts of EV resource extraction. This paper introduces the concept of points of continuity, where aspects of gasoline vehicle user experience are mimicked to increase EV adoption, highlighting the political power involved in maintaining existing patterns of automobile production and consumption within green capitalism.
ENERGY RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sergio Marconi, Ben G. Weinstein, Sheng Zou, Stephanie A. Bohlman, Alina Zare, Aditya Singh, Dylan Stewart, Ira Harmon, Ashley Steinkraus, Ethan P. White
Summary: Advances in remote sensing imagery and machine learning have the potential to develop algorithms for species classification at unprecedented scales. This study developed a tree species classification model that can be applied to a wide range of US terrestrial ecosystems. The general model showed better overall accuracy compared to site-specific classifiers, especially when classifying at the genus level. The model accurately estimated uncertainty and predicted species for 20% of all tree species found in US forest ecosystems.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Elise R. Morton, Scott K. Robinson, Felix Mulindahabi, Michel Masozera, Aditya Singh, Madan K. Oli
Summary: Understanding the spatial and temporal structure of ecological communities along elevational and geographic gradients is important for predicting biodiversity conservation and identifying the impacts of anthropogenic factors. In this study, we examined the Afrotropical montane bird community in Rwanda and found that avian communities are spatially structured across elevational gradient, with regional differences in species composition and richness. We also observed season-specific trends in species richness, with a wet season-specific increase in the high elevation assemblage.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Stephen Lantin, Kelli McCourt, Nicholas Butcher, Varun Puri, Martha Esposito, Sasha Sanchez, Francisco Ramirez-Loza, Eric McLamore, Melanie Correll, Aditya Singh
Summary: The SPOT Facility is a mobile laboratory platform for collecting plant phenotypic data. It consists of three sensors and can collect real-time data in different environments for distinguishing between different cultivars.
Article
Environmental Studies
Marlotte de Jong, Bilal Butt
Summary: This research examines how the identity and context of the poacher are constructed by the media and conservation actors, in order to understand why violent protected area policies have become accepted conservation strategies. Through a systematic analysis of news articles and interviews, the study demonstrates how poachers are dehumanized and legitimized as targets of violence. It also explores the paradox of a state that justifies its authority to protect life but condones the use of deadly force on its own citizens.
ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING E-NATURE AND SPACE
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Ira Harmon, Sergio Marconi, Ben Weinstein, Sarah Graves, Daisy Zhe Wang, Alina Zare, Stephanie Bohlman, Aditya Singh, Ethan White
Summary: This article introduces a convolutional neural network-based ITC delineation algorithm that uses a neuro-symbolic framework to inject domain knowledge. The results show that the injection of rules improves model performance and affects model bias. The addition of domain data positively impacts the accuracy of the model and reduces errors.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Brandt Bessell, Aditya Singh
Summary: AutoTSI device is essential for accurate measurement of DBH in timber stand inventories, benefiting forestry management decisions and land management planning.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Dylan Stewart, Alina Zare, Sergio Marconi, Ben G. Weinstein, Ethan P. White, Sarah J. Graves, Stephanie A. Bohlman, Aditya Singh
Summary: Supervised methods for object delineation in remote sensing rely on labeled ground-truth data, which can be challenging to gather; the newly proposed RC evaluation metric provides a more robust way to evaluate tree crown delineations, considering the imprecision in annotations; compared to the commonly used intersection over union method, the RC metric shows reduced variance among multiple annotators, making it more suitable for scoring target delineations in the presence of uncertainty and imprecision in annotations inherent to tree crown delineation.
IEEE JOURNAL OF SELECTED TOPICS IN APPLIED EARTH OBSERVATIONS AND REMOTE SENSING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ruonan Chen, Liangyun Liu, Xinjie Liu, Zhunqiao Liu, Lianhong Gu, Uwe Rascher
Summary: This study presents methods to accurately estimate sub-daily GPP from SIF in evergreen needleleaf forests and demonstrates that the interactions among light, canopy structure, and leaf physiology regulate the SIF-GPP relationship at the canopy scale.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Daniel L. Goldberg, Madankui Tao, Gaige Hunter Kerr, Siqi Ma, Daniel Q. Tong, Arlene M. Fiore, Angela F. Dickens, Zachariah E. Adelman, Susan C. Anenberg
Summary: A novel method is applied in this study to directly use satellite data to evaluate the spatial patterns of urban NOx emissions inventories. The results show that the 108 spatial surrogates used by NEMO are generally appropriate, but there may be underestimation in areas with dense intermodal facilities and overestimation in wealthy communities.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhuoyue Hu, Xiaoyan Li, Liyuan Li, Xiaofeng Su, Lin Yang, Yong Zhang, Xingjian Hu, Chun Lin, Yujun Tang, Jian Hao, Xiaojin Sun, Fansheng Chen
Summary: This paper proposes a whisk-broom imaging method using a long-linear-array detector and high-precision scanning mirror to achieve high-resolution and wide-swath thermal infrared data. The method has been implemented in the SDGs satellite and has shown promising test results.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dandan Wang, Leiqiu Hu, James A. Voogt, Yunhao Chen, Ji Zhou, Gaijing Chang, Jinling Quan, Wenfeng Zhan, Zhizhong Kang
Summary: This study evaluates different schemes for determining model coefficients to quantify and correct the anisotropic impact from remote sensing LST for urban applications. The schemes have consistent results and accurately estimate parameter values, facilitating the broadening of parametric models.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jamie Tolan, Hung - Yang, Benjamin Nosarzewski, Guillaume Couairon, Huy V. Vo, John Brandt, Justine Spore, Sayantan Majumdar, Daniel Haziza, Janaki Vamaraju, Theo Moutakanni, Piotr Bojanowski, Tracy Johns, Brian White, Tobias Tiecke, Camille Couprie
Summary: Vegetation structure mapping is crucial for understanding the global carbon cycle and monitoring nature-based approaches to climate adaptation and mitigation. This study presents the first high-resolution canopy height maps for California and Sao Paulo, achieved through the use of very high resolution satellite imagery and aerial lidar data. The maps provide valuable tools for forest structure assessment and land use monitoring.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Regina Eckert, Steffen Mauceri, David R. Thompson, Jay E. Fahlen, Philip G. Brodrick
Summary: In this paper, a mathematical framework is proposed to improve the retrieval of surface reflectance and atmospheric parameters by leveraging the expected spatial smoothness of the atmosphere. Experimental results show that this framework can reduce the surface reflectance retrieval error and surface-related biases.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chongya Jiang, Kaiyu Guan, Yizhi Huang, Maxwell Jong
Summary: This study presents the Field Rover method, which uses vehicle-mounted cameras to collect ground truth data on crop harvesting status. The machine learning approach and remote sensing technology are employed to upscale the results to a regional scale. The accuracy of the remote sensing method in predicting crop harvesting dates is validated through comparison with satellite data.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Oksana V. Lunina, Anton A. Gladkov, Alexey V. Bochalgin
Summary: In this study, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was used to detect and map surface discontinuities with displacements of a few centimeters, indicating the presence of initial geological deformations. The study found that sediments of alluvial fans are susceptible to various tectonic and exogenous deformational processes, and the interpretation of ultra-high resolution UAV images can help recognize low-amplitude brittle deformations at an early stage. UAV surveys are critical for discerning neotectonic activity and its related hazards over short observation periods.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Feng Zhao, Weiwei Ma, Jun Zhao, Yiqing Guo, Mateen Tariq, Juan Li
Summary: This study presents a data-driven approach to reconstruct the terrestrial SIF spectrum using measurements from the TROPOMI instrument on Sentinel-5 precursor mission. The reconstructed SIF spectrum shows improved spatiotemporal distributions and demonstrates consistency with other datasets, indicating its potential for better understanding of the ecosystem function.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Stephen Stehman, John E. Wagner
Summary: This article investigates optimal sample allocation in stratified random sampling for estimation of accuracy and proportion of area in applications where the target class is rare. The study finds that precision of estimated accuracy has a stronger impact on sample allocation than estimation of proportion of area, and the trade-offs among these estimates become more pronounced as the target class becomes rarer. The results provide quantitative evidence to guide sample allocation decisions in specific applications.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jingyao Zheng, Tianjie Zhao, Haishen Lu, Defu Zou, Nemesio Rodriguez-Fernandez, Arnaud Mialon, Philippe Richaume, Jianshe Xiao, Jun Ma, Lei Fan, Peilin Song, Yonghua Zhu, Rui Li, Panpan Yao, Qingqing Yang, Shaojie Du, Zhen Wang, Zhiqing Peng, Yuyang Xiong, Zanpin Xing, Lin Zhao, Yann Kerr, Jiancheng Shi
Summary: Soil moisture and freeze/thaw (F/T) play a crucial role in water and heat exchanges at the land-atmosphere interface. This study reports the establishment of a wireless sensor network for soil moisture and temperature over the permafrost region of Tibetan Plateau. Satellite-based surface soil moisture (SSM) and F/T products were evaluated using ground-based measurements. The results show the reliability of L-band passive microwave SSM and F/T products, while existing F/T products display earlier freezing and later thawing, leading to unsatisfactory accuracy.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2024)