Ecological and Social Science Challenges of Conservation

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9602244 This award renews support for a Research Training Group in Ecological and Social Science Challenges of Conservation first established at Cornell University in 1991. During the period of this renewal award, support by NSF will be phased out as other sources of funding are secured. The faculty group is a mixture of 21 senior and junior investigators who come from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, but share a common interest in the ecological, economic and social aspects of conservation. During the initial award, the program developed new on-campus and field-based training activities, including a graduate minor in conservation and sustainable development. These will continue during the renewal period. The funds awarded will provide stipends for a postdoctoral student and for graduate students, will defray part of the cost of needed technical and administrative assistance, and will help support an annual field praticum in Central America that is a cornerstone of the program. One of the serious problems for conservation efforts is the recurring cycle of poverty and environmental degradation found in many regions of the world. Common elements of the cycle are population expansion which stimulates agricultural expansion onto marginal lands, expanded fuelwood requirements, and consequent soil degradation and species extinction. This training program will focus on two contrasting socioecological settings in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica and will make use of existing institutional arrangements and research activities. These activities examine demography and population growth, the interaction of natural and agricultural systems, soil conservation, education and management in biosphere reserves, and related ecology studies.