Climate Change Topics Research Articles

Trends in grouse research

AbstractBiological research on birds of the grouse family has become increasingly related to conservation. We review trends in grouse biology, analysing the representation of species and topics in the titles of 2,788 papers published since 1930. Ruffed grouse Bonasa umbellus, the most frequently studied species before 1960, was overtaken by willow ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus in the 1970s, after which black grouse Tetrao tetrix and capercaillie Tetrao urogallus became increasingly popular until they were the most‐studied species in the 2000s. The new focus on conservation ecology involves increased interest in the topics of threatened taxa, genetics and conservation. A new appreciation of the role of large, landscape‐scale processes in population dynamics and conservation management is shown by an increase in publications on landscape ecology and habitat, enabled by technical advances in telemetry, genetics and mapping systems. Meanwhile, the number of papers on disease, diet, behaviour and reproduction has declined. The topics of climate change, human disturbance and pollution had few hits, but we anticipate that interest in them will increase as the current emphasis on conservation continues. This may well involve improved genetic and GIS techniques for determining dispersal patterns, habitat connectivity and population viability, along with a better understanding of how grouse survive their predators and other enemies. Better communication of experiences in management for grouse conservation is needed.

Datasets for inquiry in geoscience: a design model

This article describes the results of a proof of concept project, Data Sets for Inquiry in Geoscience (DIGS), funded by the National Science Foundation. The three goals of the project were to: 1) study the impacts on student learning of web-based supplementary curriculum modules in which secondary students used real geoscience datasets, visualisations, and software tools to conduct investigations within two fundamental topics of study, climate change and plate boundaries; 2) develop designs and prototypes of technology-based performance assessments to provide evidence of students' geoscientific knowledge and inquiry skills; 3) develop extension scenarios to overview examples of curriculum modules and performance assessments that could be developed for other Earth Science standards and curriculum topics. The article describes the features of the climate module curricular activities and performance assessments that can serve as models for additional topics. The project promoted and tested knowledge and inquiry strategies not typically addressed in geoscience curricula and assessments.

The impact of cybersecurity on real world, big picture, planetary problems

How will cyber security affect the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing? Our columnists Dario Forte and Richard Power report on the astronomical task of maintaining IT security for the Beijing Olympics as part of their RSA Conference roundup. The real-world topics of electronic voting and climate change are also investigated. IT security professionals can also do their bit to save the planet. Download : Download full-size image Making sure the Olympics is not extinguished by IT security incidents is a big job. Power and Forte report on the Olympics, electronic voting and climate change from the RSA Conference.

Journal of Ecology news

<i>Journal of Ecology</i> news

Hot air and Congress

Bruce Doe's article, “A Potomac Perspective on the Growing Global Greenhouse” (Eos, January 5, 1999), contained the provocative suggestion that temperature in the Washington, D.C., region might be causally linked to congressional attention to the topics of greenhouse warming and global climate change, as well as federal funding for research into these topics. This assertion is particularly interesting in light of recent archaeological and paleoclimatic studies that suggest a link between large‐scale regional climate change and major events in ancient civilizations. For example, the collapses of the Akkadian Empire, the Minoan civilization in Crete, the Old Kingdom of Egypt, and the Mayan civilization in Mexico appear to coincide with major regional climate changes, suggesting that climatic factors might be more important than previously proposed sociopolitical ones in explaining the history of these cultures (see, for example, K. Wright's article, “Empires in the Dust,” in Discover, March 1998).If a connection between climate and politics could be demonstrated in our own society, it might shed light on these past events. However, Doe did not further explore this possibility, presumably because of the lack of an appropriate quantitative measurement of legislative activity that could be compared to the temperature record.

An opinion poll among climatologists about climate change topics

An opinion poll among climatologists about climate change topics