IRES Track I: Integrating freshwater science and sustainability: Training opportunities in a rapidly changing Yucatan Peninsula ecological corridor.

有人认为，21世纪的最终挑战是调和人类活动与环境可持续性之间的内在冲突。 这一挑战最大的莫过于应对淡水资源日益增加的压力。使用主题：“一条河流穿过它：在生态走廊中从历史和水文的流动中构建未来”，这个IRES计划将在3年内让3个队列中的21名美国学生进行为期7周的实地体验。每年将侧重于解决墨西哥尤卡坦半岛Bacteria生态走廊此类冲突的途径、方法和固有挑战。这一地区自玛雅人以来已有3000多年的人类广泛居住，目前正在考虑将其列为《拉姆萨尔公约》规定的国际重要湿地。沿着当地社区，该地区发现自己处于体验生态旅游经济效益的前沿，以及保持原始环境的挑战，这推动了经济增长和使用和占用水平的迅速提高。 让学生沉浸在一个环境中，保持可持续经济增长的复杂性是前沿和中心，水的重要性是显而易见的，引人注目的，科学的作用是公认的，无论是基本的理解和社会相关性，是这个项目的总体目标。 该计划寻求三个主要的广泛影响：1）淡水研究的跨学科培训，2）最终可以为管理和政策提供信息的综合合作研究，以及3）新的文化和个人经验，交流和欣赏。 所有这三个将利用传统的生态知识，社会背景和文化意识，并为学生提供机会，体验自然资源保护和经济增长的挑战，通过政策及其潜在的社会压力裁定。 流动的概念是一个统一的原则，不仅在水科学中，而且在人类活动的过程中。就像世界各地的淡水生态系统一样，这一系统中有三种主要力量，理解它们的相互作用对于可行的、可持续的环境和经济至关重要，这些环境和经济的利益在今天和未来都在增加：1）地表和地下水文系统动态，2）生态复杂性，3）人类使用，建筑环境和参与。这些力量是每个淡水系统的共同特征。Bacterium就像一个实验室，在这个实验室里，这些力量在真实的时间里发挥作用，“流动”正在迅速变化。本科生和研究生研究的机会存在于相关领域，使学生的兴趣与水文地质学，水生生物地球化学，红树林和湿地生态学，碳循环，叠层石生态学，气候动力学，GIS制图，遥感，社区参与，资源管理和决策等领域相匹配的计划纬度。 该计划将利用与El Colegio de la Frontera Sur（ECOSUR）的合作，ECOSUR是联邦政府支持的研究实验室和Chetumal的学院，Centro Regional de Educación Normal。LIC. Javier Rojo Gómez（Bacteria师范学院）和Bacteria公立高中系统（COBACH）。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

It has been suggested that the ultimate challenge of the 21st century is to reconcile the inherent conflict between human activity and environmental sustainability. Nowhere is this challenge greater than in dealing with increasing pressure on freshwater resources. Using a theme: “A River Runs Through It: Building a future from the flow of history and hydrology in an ecological corridor”, this IRES program will expose ~21 U.S. students in 3 cohorts over 3 years to a 7-week field experience. Each year will focus on the approaches, methods, and challenges inherent in resolving such conflicts in the Bacalar Ecological Corridor in the Yucatan, Mexico. This region, which has been extensively inhabited by humans for well over 3000 years dating back to the Mayans, is under consideration as a Ramsar Convention of Wetlands of International Importance site. Along with the local community, this region finds itself at the leading edge of experiencing the economic benefits of eco-tourism, and the challenge of maintaining the pristine environment which is driving a growing economy and a rapidly increasing level of use and occupation. Immersing students in an environment where the complexity of maintaining sustainable economic growth is front and center, the importance of water is obvious and compelling, and the role of science is recognized, both for fundamental understanding and for societal relevance, is the overarching goal of this project. The program seeks three major broad impacts: 1) interdisciplinary training in freshwater studies, 2) integrated, collaborative research that can ultimately inform management and policy, and 3) new cultural and personal experiences, exchange, and appreciation. All three will take advantage of traditional ecological knowledge, social context, and cultural awareness, and provide students the opportunity to experience the challenges of natural resource conservation and economic growth as adjudicated through policy and its underlying societal pressures. The concept of flow is a unifying principle, not only in water science, but in the course of human events. Like freshwater ecosystems everywhere, three major forces come together in this system and understanding their interactions is essential for viable, sustained environments and economies whose benefits accrue both today and into the future: 1) Surficial and subterranean hydrologic system dynamics, 2) Ecological complexity, and 3) Human use, the built environment, and engagement. These forces are a common feature of every freshwater system. Bacalar serves as a laboratory in which these forces are playing out in real time and the “flows” are changing rapidly. Opportunities for undergraduate and graduate student research exist across related areas giving the program latitude in matching student interests to a variety of fields including hydrogeology, aquatic biogeochemistry, mangrove and wetland ecology, carbon cycling, stromatolite ecology, climate dynamics, GIS mapping, remote sensing, community engagement, resource management and decision making. The program will take advantage of collaborations with the El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) a federally supported research lab and college in Chetumal, the Centro Regional de Educación Normal. Lic. Javier Rojo Gómez (Bacalar Normal College), and the Bacalar Public High School system (COBACH).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.