Ecological and Social Science Challenges of Conservation

9602244该奖项再次支持1991年在康奈尔大学建立的生态和社会科学保护挑战研究培训小组。在此续期期间，NSF的支持将随着其他资金来源的获得而逐步停止。教师小组由21名高级和初级研究人员组成，他们来自不同的学科背景，但对保护的生态、经济和社会方面有着共同的兴趣。在最初的奖励期间，该计划开发了新的校园和实地培训活动，包括研究生保护和可持续发展辅修课程。这些将在续签期间继续。所授予的资金将为博士后学生和研究生提供津贴，将支付所需技术和行政援助的部分费用，并将帮助支持每年在中美洲进行的实地实习，这是该计划的基石。保护工作面临的一个严重问题是，世界许多地区的贫穷和环境退化循环往复。这一循环的共同要素是人口扩张刺激农业向边缘土地扩张，对薪材的需求扩大，以及随之而来的土壤退化和物种灭绝。该培训方案将侧重于多米尼加共和国和哥斯达黎加两种截然不同的社会生态环境，并将利用现有的体制安排和研究活动。这些活动审查人口和人口增长、自然和农业系统的相互作用、土壤保持、生物圈保护区的教育和管理以及有关的生态学研究。

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.