- Volume 10, Number 1 (2023)
MULTI-SCALE ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVERS OF CO2 EFFLUX IN BLACKWATER CONSERVATION AREA
Jennifer Anne Mitchell, Michael James Davis
As the global population burgeons, ecosystems face unprecedented challenges to sustain current levels of production. The preservation of sensitive ecosystems is now a critical imperative for the long-term viability of our planet. Among these, wetlands emerge as vital custodians of planetary health, covering approximately 6% of terrestrial land areas worldwide. In the United States alone, they span a vast 274 million acres, constituting 14% of the world's total wetlands (Reddy & DeLaune, 2008). These ecosystems are estimated to sequester a staggering 350-535 gigatons of carbon (Mitra et al., 2005). However, the escalating global temperatures and erratic patterns of flooding and...
INNOVATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS: MT. ELGON'S RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
Samuel Kiprono Omondi, Grace Njeri Waweru
Mountain ecosystems worldwide are grappling with the multifaceted impacts of climate change exacerbated by concurrent anthropogenic stressors, such as habitat encroachment, land fragmentation, and degradation (Mano and Nhemachena, 2007; Biggs et al., 2008; Amwata et al., 2015). These dynamics are exacting a substantial toll on livelihoods due to diminished agricultural productivity and altered ecosystem services. The erratic, unreliable, and capricious rainfall patterns resulting from climate change are leading to declining agricultural yields, coupled with heightened risks of soil erosion and amplified evapotranspiration. According to IPCC projections (2007), any global average temperature rise beyond 1.5°C - 2.5°C is poised to trigger...
HYDROPONIC SHOWDOWN: DWC VS. WICK SYSTEM FOR LETTUCE CULTIVATION
Benjamin Thomas Mitchell, Olivia Marie Reynolds
As the global population burgeons and available farmland diminishes, the imperative to enhance food production efficiency becomes increasingly pressing (Fedoroff, 2015). Within this context, indoor and urban farming methodologies have emerged as viable solutions to augment agricultural output (Specht et al., 2014). A Market Analysis Report (2019) assessing the hydroponic market size underscores the sector's anticipated robust growth, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 20.7% from 2021 to 2028. This trend finds manifestation in urban landscapes, where disused structures are being repurposed into controlled environment facilities for food production through hydroponics and advanced LED lighting systems. Illustrative instances...