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Photo by Greg Shine, BLM.
From its headwaters on Steens Mountain to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge boundary, the Donner und Blitzen Wild and Scenic River offers breathtakingly beautiful scenic glaciated canyons, unique ecosystems, and exceptional wild trout fisheries.
The Donner und Blitzen River, known as the Blitzen River and its tributaries, is located approximately 70 miles south of Bums, Oregon. The river and its tributaries originate on the west slopes of the Steens Mountain and flow in a northwesterly direction before entering the 185,000-acre Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge is dependent upon the water generated on the Steens. Much of the river's length is situated in deeply carved canyons. The preliminary boundary configuration includes 22,625 acres.
The designated river corridor for the Donner und Blitzen River contains a diversity of landforms and vegetation that captures the attention of the viewer. The river and its tributaries pass through several vegetation zones which are the result of climatic factors such as temperature, elevation and precipitation.
The progression, from the lower sagebrush/bunchgrass community to the upper subalpine zone, gives depth and variety to the different settings from which the viewer experiences the scenery. It is one of the greatest qualities of this river system. In the upper elevations, river users have an opportunity for a primitive experience viewing textbook examples of glaciated canyons and deep basalt formations of the main Blitzen River. These view sheds are largely untouched and in a natural condition.
Portions of the river system fall within the Steens Mountain Wilderness. With such a diversity of landscapes within a river system, the visual qualities result in an outstandingly remarkable value.
A use survey, conducted in 1988 for the Steens Mountain Recreation Lands (which includes the Blitzen River and its tributaries), showed that Steens Mountain is visited by recreationists of geographically diverse origins. Sixty-four percent of the visitors to the Steens are from western Oregon, 19 percent from eastern Oregon, and 17 percent from outside states such as Washington, Idaho, California, and Nevada.
Steens Mountain is a destination area due to its unique resource characteristics and associated recreation opportunities. Visitors travel long distances to recreate because of the following attributes:
The river canyons offer high scenic quality in the form of glaciated canyons, along with a variety of diverse vegetation due to climatic conditions.
The river provides a rare 2 to 4-day backpack trip or horseback experience for individuals with moderate skill levels. Portions of the Oregon Desert Trail are within sections of the river canyons.
Existing recreation uses that are exceptional in quality include fishing, hunting, hiking, photography, wildlife, and scenic viewing. Due to the small size of the stream, the river segments are not used for boating.
The river first received wild and scenic designation on October 28, 1988, from its headwaters to the confluence with the South Fork Blitzen and Little Blitzen Rivers, including the Little Blitzen River, South Fork Blitzen River, Big Indian Creek, Little Indian Creek and Fish Creek tributaries.
On October 30, 2000, legislation expanded the river's wild and scenic designation to include Mud Creek from its source to its confluence with the Donner und Blitzen River; Ankle Creek from its headwaters to its confluence with the Donner und Blitzen River; and the South Fork of Ankle Creek from its source to its confluence with Ankle Creek.
To learn more about the river and plan a visit, contact the BLM Burns District office through one of the options below:
BLM Burns District
28910 Hwy 20 West
Hines, OR 97738
Telephone: 541-573-4400
Fax: 541-573-4411
E-mail: BLM_OR_BU_Mail@blm.gov
Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary comprises a fringing coral reef ecosystem nestled within an eroded volcanic crater on the island of Tutuila, American Samoa. This smallest and most remote of all the National Marine Sanctuaries.
To learn more about the National Marine Sanctuary system, visit:
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
What is a National Marine Sanctuary?, (Diving Deeper audio podcast)
National Marine Sanctuary System
(Original source: National Ocean Service Image Gallery)
Aambyvalley Rd.,Off Lonavala,Mah.,India
=Borsippa megastigmata
www.jpmoth.org/~dmoth/Digital_Moths_of_Asia/90_NOCTUOIDEA...
Type species:Dyrzela coreana
Id.updated.
The San Pedro riparian area, containing about 40 miles of the upper San Pedro River, was designated by Congress as a National Conservation Area on November 18, 1988. The primary purpose for the designation is to protect and enhance the desert riparian ecosystem, a rare remnant of what was once an extensive network of similar riparian systems throughout the Southwest.
Many recreational opportunities are available within the NCA. Murray Springs Clovis Site, a significant archaeological site contains an undisturbed stratigraphic record of the past 40,000 years. Excavations were conducted by the University of Arizona from 1966 to 1971. People first arrived in this area 11,000 years ago. They belonged to what we now call the Clovis Culture and were the earliest known people to have inhabited North America. Named after the distinctive and beautifully crafted Clovis spear points they made, they were expert hunters of the large mammals of the last Ice Age. An interpretive trail leads visitors through the site. From Sierra Vista, take State Highway 90 east 6 miles to Monson Road. Turn left, and go about 1.2 miles to the signed turnoff to Murray Springs. The access road is located on the right.
The Spanish Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate is the most intact remaining example of a once-extensive network of similar presidios. These fortresses marked the northern extension of New Spain into the New World. Only a stone foundation and a few remaining adobe wall remnants mark the location of an isolated and dangerous military station. From Fairbank on Highway 82, drive approximately 2 miles west on Highway 82, turn right on the Kellar Ranch Road and travel approximately 3 miles to the trailhead. Hike about 2 miles to the ruins and interpretive displays.
The San Pedro House, located 9 miles east of Sierra Vista on State Highway 90, is a popular trailhead for birdwatchers, hikers, and mountain bikers. The Friends of San Pedro operate a bookstore and information center.
Photo by Bob Wick, BLM.
Costa Rica, balade dans un écosystème varié... souvent sous une pluie tropicale mais avec de belles rencontres.
Distribution and observed trends of wild Rangifer populations throughout the circumpolar Arctic (from The Circum Arctic Rangifer Monitoring and Assessment Network, CARMA). Currently wild reindeer and caribou have declined by about 33% since populations (herds) peaked in the 1990s and early 2000s (3.8 million compared to 5.6 million) which followed almost universal increases in the 1970s and 1980s. In Arctic Eurasia reindeer herding represents a livelihood and cultural tradition of indigenous peoples, such as the Sami in Arctic Europe. Note: Wild boreal forest reindeer have not been mapped by CARMA and thus are not represented here.
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This photo has been graciously provided to be used in the GRID-Arendal resources library by: Riccardo Pravettoni
*GRAND ACHIEVEMENT OF sasrai-Movement*
**
*Dear Madam/Sir*
**
Greetings from *sasrai-Movement *that works voluntarily since 2004 across
the globe aimed at promote prudent and sustainable consumption and
conservation, optimum use and reduce the abuse of resources. sasrai target
to animate, activate each individual, family, community, institution,
organization to combat Climate Change, global warming, food, fuel and water
security, poverty, disaster, waste, ecosystem and biodiversity etc, reverse
the devastating trend of globe.
Please be informed today May 26, 2013 Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong
served letter to DCs and heads of education administration office to ensure
MONTH LONG sasrai Banner hanging in observance of World Environment Day
2013 in each government office and education institution. May be this is
the first time in the history of Bangladesh government uphold own the
voluntary initiative.
We believe very soon our hon’able premier of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina will
do same - pass government order to keep sasrai-Movement banner in each
government, non-government, business office and educational institution
must keep a sasrai Banner yearlong that translate green action for each and
every citizen irrespective of class, race, religion, cast, creed and
ethnicity.
We do believe UN will take initiative to have a decision like our hon’able
premier Sheikh Hasina for the globe. Cause *sasrai **ONLY THE PATH TO SAVE
THE PLANET EARTH, ONLY THE PATH TO Eliminate Racial Discrimination, END
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, CHILDREN or whatever we say. sasrai ONLY THE PATH
TO END VULNEARABILITY, HUNGER, DISASTER, CLIMATE Threat**. **Each second,
minute, hour day needed to be spent considering earth, environment and
humanity.*
* *
*sasrai-Movement Volunteer waiting for that very golden moment.*
* *
*Hope the best, much love.***
Please relentless to voice from each corner across the globe
• Please, save a drop of water daily, during all water related
activities
• Please, plant at least a Native tree annually at own home or
community
• Please, keep off electric appliances one minute daily
• Please, suspend travel by personal car once a day
• Please, keep a day in a week luxury free
• Please, do not throw away the waste wherever you like
• Please, No more junk food
• Please, save one minute to think on Climate Change and
Environment
• You Can Reduce CO2 Emissions, Plant Native Trees Worldwide
• You could uphold the movement instantly using sasrai-Movement
appeal at the bottom of your all printed material
Let's we try to save one Taka/dollar/pound/yen ........from our daily use,
consumption, expenditure, LUXURY combat the CLIMATE CHANGE, GLOBAL WARMING
and the sequences.
www.facebook.com/sasraiMovement.2004
sasrai.wordpress.com/sasrai-movement/
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8450962401
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Priyoithu
Let's be a desired friend to all creature, humanity, environment, earth
Plant for planet, water for world, environment for entire
sasrai – sustainable augmentation, solicited restraint, animated integrity
Please send us your suggestion, comment via email:
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that
2012 was the hottest year on record for the United States. It was also the
second most extreme, weather-wise, and nearly twice the average. NOAA
confirmed that this pattern will worsen if climate change continues
unabated.
IPS - Special Issue on COP18 Doha Climate Change Conference 29 Nov, Dec 07,
2012 - state that unsustainable human consumption and production systems
are driving changes in average temperatures and weather patterns,
"abnormal" is increasingly becoming the norm.
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Building on the ‘Ecosystem Landscaping to advance the Accountability to implement the Women’s Empowerment Principles in ASEAN’, the WeEmpowerAsia programme, UN women jointly develops and will disseminate the Building Pathways to Gender Equality and Sustainability through the Women's Empowerment Principles: Thailand Policy Brief (hereafter referred as ‘Thailand Policy Brief’) with key partners, namely the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Office of SMEs Promotion (OSMEP).
Gender Responsive Procurement (GRP) is one of the initiatives recommended in the Thailand Policy Brief. GRP can identify, incorporate and support women business owners seeking to access government/corporate procurement contracts. In support of the initiative, UN Women and Kenan Foundation Asia will host the “IDEA to I do”, a business presentation competition for selected women entrepreneurs, to showcase the capacity of WOB and WLB developed under WeEmpowerAsia Programme as means to promote women’s participation in supply chain. Winners will receive the WeRise Awards and the prizes are comprised of one winner, one first runner-up and one second runner-up.
Photo: UN Women/Daydream Organizer Co., Ltd.
Among the many impacts erosion has on coastal ecosystems are the destruction of soil surface layers, leading to groundwater pollution and to reduction of water resources; degradation of dunes, leading to desertification; reduction of biological diversity; adverse effects on beach dynamics; reduction of sedimentary resources; and disappearance of the sandy littoral lanes that protect agricultural land from the intrusion of seawater, resulting in soil and groundwater salinisation (EEA and UNEP 2006).
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This photo has been graciously provided to be used in the GRID-Arendal resources library by: GRID-Arendal
NASA satellite image petroleum hydrocarbon are careless oil tanker and oil platform explosion disaster spread out of control keeps flowing unchecked into the Gulf, tragic Deepwater Horizon oil spill took place. A culture of perhaps, or will call tomorrow, be equal in quality or ability to clean up organ,of extreme viscosity oil pumping techniques,for slow response, and president of vows probably derived from baby talk,that using balloons also used in cleaning up the fragile ecosystem by artful prudence in the tastes in art and manners that are favoured by managers group, that develop one's mind aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico oil well blowout on April 20, 2010
I continued on my drive from Kona International Airport to Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historical Park along State Route 19. As I neared Kawaihae, Hawaii, Kohala, the shield volcano comprising the north tip of the Big Island, loomed in the distance.
Kohala is the oldest of five volcanoes that make up the island of Hawaii. It is believed to have last erupted 120,000 years ago. The volcano is cut by multiple deep gorges, the product of thousands of years of erosion.
A dike complex near the volcano's main caldera separates runoff into two major drainage basins, the Waipiʻo and Waimanu valleys, and it maintains the volcano's shallow water table. Kohala supports a complex hydrological cycle that has been exploited to provide a water supply to island residents.
Because it is so far from the nearest major landmass, the ecosystem of Kohala has experienced the phenomenon of geographic isolation, resulting in an ecosystem radically different from that of other places. Invasive species introduced by man present a problem to Kohala's ecosystem, as they push native species out of their habitat. There are several initiatives to preserve Kohala's ecosystem. Crops, especially sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), have been harvested on the leeward side of the volano for centuries as well. The northern part of the island is named after the mountain, with two districts named North and South Kohala. King Kamehameha I, the first King of the Kingdom of Hawaii, was born in North Kohala, near Hawi.
The volcano is so old that it experienced, and recorded, a reversal of magnetic polarity (a change in the orientation of Earth's magnetic field so that the positions of the North and South poles interchange) that happened 780,000 years ago. Fifty different flow units in the top 140 m (459 ft) of exposed strata in the Pololu section are of normal polarity, indicating that they were deposited within the last 0.78 million years. Radiometric dating ranged mostly from 450,000 to 320,000 years ago, although several pieces strayed lower; this indicated a period of eruptive history at the time.
Kohala was devastated by a massive landslide between 250,000 and 300,000 years before present. Debris from the slide was found on the ocean floor up to 130 km (81 mi) away from the volcano. Twenty kilometers wide at the shoreline, the landslide cut back to the summit of the volcano, and is partially, if not largely, responsible for the volcano losing 1,000 m (3,281 ft) in height since then. The famous sea cliffs of the windward Kohala shoreline stand as evidence of the massive geologic disaster, and mark the topmost part of the debris from this ancient landslide. There are also several other unique features found on the volcano, all marks made by the decimating collapse.
The volcano's lava flows are sorted into two layers. The Hawi Volcanic layers were deposited in the shield stage of the volcano's life, and the younger Pololu Volcanics were deposited in the volcano's post-shield stage. The rock in the younger Hawi section, which overlies the older Pololu flows, is mostly 260 to 140 thousand years old, and composed mainly of hawaiite and trachyte. The separation between the two layers is not clear; the lowest layers may actually be in the Pololu section, based on their depositional patterns and low phosphorus content. The time intervals separating the two periods of volcanic evolution were extremely brief, something first noted in 1988.
The United States Geological Survey has assessed the extinct Kohala as a low-risk area. The volcano is in zone 9 (bottom risk), while the border of the volcano with Mauna Kea is zone 8 (second lowest), as Mauna Kea has not produced lava flows for 4,500 years.
Kohala, like other shield volcanoes, has a shallow surface slope due to the low viscosity of the lava flows that formed it. Events during and after its eruptions give the volcano several unique geomorphic features, some possibly resulting from the ancient collapse and landslide. The volcano is shaped like a foot; the northeast coast extends prominently across 20 km (12 mi) of shoreline, differing from the ordinarily smooth, rounded shape of Hawaiian volcanoes.
Kohala is dissected by multiple, deeply eroded stream valleys in a west-east alignment, cutting into the flanks of the volcano. The northwestern slope of Kohala has few stream valleys cut into it, the result of the rain shadow effect—the dominant trade winds bring most of the rainfall to the northeastern slope of the volcano.
The valleys are more than 800 m (2,625 ft) in depth, among the oldest and largest of which are the Waipiʻo and Waimanu valleys. The volcano stayed active well into the formation of these mountainside valleys, as illustrated by later Pololu lava flows, which separated into two directions and often flowed into Pololu Valley. Recent seafloor mapping seems to show that the valley extends a short way into the seafloor, and it is believed the valley formed from the tumbled-out rock from the landslide.
The natural habitats in the Kohala district range across a wide rainfall gradient in a very short distance—from less than 5 in (127 mm) a year on the coast near Kawaihae, to more than 150 in (3,810 mm) a year near the summit of Kohala Mountain, a distance of just 11 mi (18 km). At the coast are remnants of dry forests, and near the summit lies a cloud forest, a type of rainforest that obtains much of its moisture from "cloud drip" in addition to precipitation. These large cloud forests dominate its slopes. This biome is rare, and contains a disproportionate percentage of the world's rare and endemic species. The soil at Kohala is nitrogen-rich, facilitating root growth.
The happy combination of small trees, bushes, ferns, vines, and other forms of ground cover keep the soil porous and allow the water to percolate more easily into underground channels. The foliage of the trees breaks the force of rain and prevents the impact of soil by raindrops. A considerable portion of the precipitation is let down to the ground slowly by this three-story cover of trees, bushes, and floor plants and in this manner the rain, falling on a well-forested area, is held back and instead of rushing down to the sea rapidly in the form of destructive floods, is fed gradually to the springs and to the underground artesian basins where it is held for use over a much longer interval.
The mountain supports approximately 155 native species of vertebrates, crustaceans, mollusks, and plants. A diverse complexion of fungi, liverwort, and mosses further add to the variety. In fact, up to a quarter of the plants in the forest are mosses and ferns. These work to capture the water from clouds, in turn providing microhabitats for invertebrates and amphibians, and their predators. Estimates on the water capacity of the forest range from 792 US gal (2,998 l) to 3,962 US gal (14,998 l) per hectare.
The mountain is also home to several bogs, which exist as breaks in the cloud forests. It is believed that bogs form in low lying areas where clay in the soil prevents proper water drainage, resulting in an accumulation of water that impedes the root systems of woody plants. Kohala's bogs are characterized by sedges, mosses of the genus Sphagnum, and the endangered ʻŌhai (Sesbania tomentosa). Other habitats include rain forest and mesophytic (wet) forests.
The same isolation that produced Kohala's unique ecosystem also makes it very vulnerable to invasive species. Alien plants and feral animals are among the greatest threats to the local ecology. Plants like the kahili ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum) and the strawberry guava (Psidium littorale) displace native species. Prior to human settlement, many major organisms such as conifers and rodents never made it onto the island, so the ecosystem never developed defenses against them, leaving Hawaii vulnerable to damage by hoofed animals, rodents, and predation.
Kohala's native Hawaiian rain forest has a thick layer of ferns and mosses carpeting the floor, which act as sponges, absorbing water from rain and not letting much of it through to the soil; when feral animals like pigs trample the covering, the forest loses its ability to hold in water effectively, and the result is a severe loss of topsoil, much of which ends up being dumped by streams into the ocean.
From 1400 to 1800, the principal crop grown at Kohala was sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), although there is also evidence of yams (Dioscorea sp.), taro (Colocasia esculenta), bananas (Musa hybrids), sugarcane (Saacharum officinarum), and gourds of the family Cucurbitaceae. The optimal rainfall level for the sweet potato lies between 30 to 50 inches (76–130 cm) per year. A combination of factors makes the rainfall at Kohala variable both from location to location and from year to year. In addition, Kohala is buffeted by strong winds, which are directly correlated to soil erosion; ancient farmers utilized a series of earthen embarkments and stone walls to protect their crops. This technique has been shown to reduce wind by at least 20–30 percent.
In addition to walls, there are a series of stone paths that divided the farmed area into plots of variable size. These structures are unique because although many people used such systems at the time, Kohala has some of the few to survive. The leeward slopes of Kohala were used for sugar plantations in the late 19th century.Several plantations on the mountain were consolidated into the Kohala Sugar Company by 1937.
Kohala supports a very complex hydrological cycle. In the early part of the 20th century, this was exploited by building surface irrigational channels designed to capture water at the higher elevations and distribute it to the then-extensive sugarcane industry. In 1905, after 18 months and the loss of 17 lives, the Kohala Ditch, a vast network of flumes and ditches, measuring 22 mi (35 km) in length, was completed. Its has since come into use by ranches, farms, and homes.
The Hawaii County Department of Water Supply relies on streams from Kohala to supply water to the population of the island. With increasing demand, the original surface channels have been supplemented by deep wells designed to channel groundwater for domestic use.
The land around Kohala is administered as two districts, North Kohala and South Kohala, of the County of Hawaiʻi. The beaches, parks, golf courses, and resorts in South Kohala are called "the Kohala Coast."
King Kamehameha I, the first King of the unified Hawaiian Islands, was born near Upolu Point, the northern tip of Kohala. The site is within Kohala Historical Sites State Monument. The original Kamehameha Statue stands in front of the community center in Kapaʻau, and replicas of the statue are found at Aliʻiōlani Hale in Honolulu, and in the United States Capitol at the Hall of Columns in Washington, D.C.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohala_(mountain)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_...
Pulling up mangrove roots for carbon stock assessment during low tide. For Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) study on above-ground and below-ground biomass destructive sampling in mangrove ecosystems, as part of the Sustainable Wetlands Adaptation and Mitigation Program (SWAMP). Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Photo by Kate Evans/CIFOR
Related research publication on mangrove:
Mangroves among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics
www.cifor.org/online-library/browse/view-publication/publ...
Carbon storage in mangrove and peatland ecosystems
www.cifor.org/online-library/browse/view-publication/publ...
For more information about CIFOR’s wetlands research visit: cifor.org/swamp
If you use one of our photos, please credit it accordingly and let us know. You can reach us through our Flickr account or at: cifor-mediainfo@cgiar.org and m.edliadi@cgiar.org
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Kelly Benoit-Bird
Associate Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University
Kelly Benoit-Bird applies acoustics to the study of ecosystems in the open ocean. She has helped develop several new optical and acoustical instruments and has made fundamental acoustical measurements of species ranging from zooplankton to fish, squid, and marine mammals. Benoit-Bird has been named a MacArthur Fellow, has received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and has published in Nature, Marine Biology and the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. Through her research into how predators target their prey, Benoit-Bird is creating a new understanding of key ecological processes in the ocean.
Flaminia Catteruccia
Associate Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health
Flaminia Catteruccia is a molecular entomologist specializing in the reproductive biology of Anopheles mosquitoes, the only mosquitoes capable of transmitting human malaria. Searching for a more effective way to reduce the incidence of malaria, Catteruccia is exploring how disruptions to the mosquito mating process could cause them not to successfully reproduce. Her work has received funding from the Wellcome Trust and has appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Biotechnology and Malaria Journal. Her focus on the reproductive biology of mosquitoes seeks keys to fighting a disease that still affects hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Sriram Kosuri
Postdoctoral Fellow, Wyss Institute and Harvard Medical School
Sriram Kosuri is developing next-generation DNA synthesis technologies for use in bioengineering. Prior to his work at the Wyss Institute, Kosuri was the first employee at Joule Unlimited, a biofuel startup company working to develop fuels from sunlight using engineered microbes; and co-founded OpenWetWare, a website designed to share information in the biological sciences. He has authored several patents and patent applications related to both biofuels and DNA synthesis technologies, and has published in journals such as Nature Biotechnology and Molecular Systems Biology. The potential applications of the engineered biological products Kosuri is working on span realms from medicine to environment to energy and materials.
Thaddeus Pace
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine
Thaddeus Pace explores endocrine and immune system changes in people who suffer from stress-related psychiatric illness or who have had adverse early life experiences. His investigations have highlighted the potential of compassion meditation and other complementary practices to help individuals exposed to trauma, including patients with PTSD and children in state foster care programs. Pace’s work has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and has appeared in Neuroscience, The American Journal of Psychiatry and International Immunopharmacology. His research aims to contribute new approaches to the long-term health and well-being of children and adults in challenging circumstances.
David Rand
Assistant Professor, Psychology Department, Yale University
David Rand focuses on the evolution of human behavior, with a particular emphasis on cooperation, generosity and altruism. His approach combines empirical observations from behavioral experiments with predictions generated by evolutionary game theoretic math models and computer simulations. Rand has been named to Wired magazine’s Smart List 2012 of “50 people who will change the world” as well as the AAAS/Science Program for Excellence in Science, and his work has been featured on the front covers of both Nature and Science and reported widely in the media. Rand seeks answers to why people are willing to help others at a cost to themselves, and what can be done to help solve social dilemmas when they arise.
Giuseppe Raviola
Director of Mental Health at Partners In Health, Director of the Program in Mental Health and Social Change at Harvard Medical School, and Medical Director of Patient Safety and Quality at Children's Hospital Boston
Giuseppe “Bepi” Raviola works to more fully integrate mental health services into global health care efforts. Through research, clinical practice and training in places ranging from Haiti to Rwanda, Raviola is building teams and bridging disciplines to address this critical and previously neglected issue. His ideas and findings have appeared in The Lancet, the Harvard Review of Psychiatry and the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Raviola’s work on behalf of local mental health team leaders aims to build lasting, community-based systems of mental health care.
John Rinn
Assistant Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University and Medical School and Senior Associate Member of the Broad Institute
John Rinn takes an unconventional approach to the way biologists think about the human genome. Focusing on large intervening non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs), his work suggests that so-called “junk genes” may actually play a key regulatory role in cell function. Rinn’s finding have been published in Nature, Science and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and he has been named to Popular Science’s “Brilliant 10.” By identifying thousands of new RNA genes in the human genome, he is working toward a better understanding of their importance for human health and disease.
Leila Takayama
Research Scientist, Willow Garage
Leila Takayama studies how people perceive, understand, feel about and interact with robots. What can robots do? Better yet, what should they do, and how? Takayama has been collaborating with character animators, sound designers, and product designers to work toward making both the appearance and behaviors of robots more human-readable, approachable, and appealing. Her findings have appeared in the International Journal of Design, Neural Networks and IEEE Pervasive Computing. Through her research, Takayama is leading the way toward robots that serve their purposes more effectively and intuitively.
Tiffani Williams
Associate Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University
Tiffani Williams explores new ways to use computation in helping to reconstruct the phylogenetic ways that all organisms are connected. A specialist in bioinformatics and high-performance computing, she is working with a multidisciplinary team to build the Open Tree of Life, showing the previously established links among species and providing tools for scientists to update and revise the tree as new data come in. She has been a Radcliffe Institute Fellow, has been funded by the National Science Foundation, and has published in Science, Evolutionary Bioinformatics and the Journal of Computational Biology. By helping identify how species are related to each other, Williams is providing a framework for new understanding in realms such as ecological health, environmental change, and human disease.
Benjamin Zaitchik
Assistant Professor, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University
Benjamin Zaitchik’s research is directed at understanding, managing, and coping with climatic and hydrologic variability. He looks for new approaches to controlling human influences on climate and water resources at local, regional and global scales, and explores improved forecast systems and methods of risk assessment. His work has received funding from NASA, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, and appeared in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and Water Resources Research, among others. Zaitchik is interested in helping provide new insights in such crucial areas as transboundary water management, climate-informed disease early warning systems, and adaptation strategies in subsistence agricultural communities.
n April 23, BLM Range Management Specialists shot photos and video at a Sage-grouse lek near Louse Canyon geographic management area and McDermitt, Oregon.
The sagebrush ecosystem is home to unique plant and wildlife species, and is very important to the overall ecological health of eastern Oregon. Many birds and mammals depend on sagebrush ecosystems in the western United States for survival. In the last century, drastic changes caused by livestock grazing, conversion of lands to agriculture, the introduction of exotic plant species, and fire have resulted in alteration and fragmentation of sagebrush vegetative communities throughout the Intermountain West. The loss of sagebrush ecosystems are negatively affecting many of the more than 350 species of plants and animals that depend on sagebrush ecosystems for all or part of their existence including Greater Sage-Grouse as well as Pygmy Rabbit, Mule Deer, and Golden Eagles. Other examples of sagebrush dependent species include sage sparrow, ferruginous hawks, Brewer's sparrow, sage thrasher, sagebrush vole, and many botanical species.
Over the last several years, in response to requests from state and local governments to facilitate ways to conserve Greater Sage-Grouse and protect its habitat, BLM scientists and managers met with state wildlife management officials. The BLM strategy emphasizes a cooperative approach and provides a framework to advance efforts to implement timely conservation measures for sage-grouse and its habitat.
Additional information about this effort is online at:
This is a promienent relief feature. The sand here is more stable and contains some humus. Almost all marram grass. The growth of the marram grass slows the wind speed and reduces sand movement.
In an ecosystem both abiotic and biotic factors are included. Here at Sotol Vista you can see the vegetation and rock background.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, chairman of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration (RESTORE) council led a public meeting to vote on an update to the Council’s comprehensive plan to address ongoing restoration efforts after the Gulf Coast Oil Spill.
The RESTORE Council was established by the Gulf disaster, the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act) in July 2012 in response to the Gulf Coast Oil Spill. The RESTORE Council is a unique federal-state partnership that brings together a diverse set of expertise and resources from its 11 members. Since its inception, the Council has made significant progress toward restoring ecosystems, economies, and businesses in the region. Vilsack has served as Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Chairman since March 2016. In New Orleans, LA on December 16, 2016. USDA photo by Amy Robertson.
In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) is inspected shortly after arrival. ECOSTRESS is designed to monitor one of the most basic processes in living plants: the loss of water through the tiny pores in leaves. ECOSTRESS will launch to the International Space Station aboard a Dragon spacecraft launched by a Falcon 9 rocket on the SpaceX CRS-15 mission in June 2018.
Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett