Privacy vs. protection: Study considers how to manage epidemics in information blackouts

Nov. 6, 2012

When foot-and-mouth disease swept through the British countryside in early 2001, more than 10 million sheep, cattle and pigs were slaughtered to control the disease. Despite the devastation, the disease was contained within 10 months, due in part to the availability of finely detailed farm data, which enabled mathematical modelers to make accurate predictions about the spread of the disease and suggest optimal ways of managing it.

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Malaria transmission peaks at much cooler temperatures than previously predicted

Nov. 5, 2012

The most deadly type of malaria in humans and the one most prevalent in Africa is very sensitive to climate. Previously published scientific studies put the optimal temperature for malaria transmission from mosquitos to humans at 31 degrees C (88 degrees F), but according to a new mathematical model, the temperature for peak transmission of the parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is much, much lower.

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CHANS-Net scientists launch international study of open-fire cooking and air quality

Nov. 2, 2012

A three-year, international study on the impact of open-fire cooking on regional air quality and disease will break new ground by bringing together atmospheric scientists, engineers, statisticians and social scientists who will analyze the effects of smoke from traditional cooking methods on households, villages, and entire regions.

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Excess nitrogen fertilizer increasing warming in China

Nov. 1, 2012

Halving the amount of nitrogen fertilizer used in certain areas of China would substantially decrease greenhouse gas emissions without affecting crop productivity and the area's natural carbon sink according to research led by a CHANS-Net member.

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Satellite images tell tales of changing biodiversity

Oct. 25, 2012

Analysis of texture differences in satellite images may be an effective way to monitor changes in vegetation, soil and water patterns over time, with potential implications for measuring biodiversity as well, according to new research published by CHANS-Net member Matteo Convertino, of the University of Florida, and colleagues.

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Study to investigate programs encouraging sustainable golden monkey habitat management in China

Oct. 24, 2012

China’s Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve provides key habitat for the endangered Guizhou golden monkey. A new project led by CHANS-Net member Li An, of San Diego State University, is investigating the sustainability of payment programs that may help to preserve golden monkey habitat.

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Conservation scientists look beyond greenbelts to connect wildlife sanctuaries

Oct. 19, 2012

It's a human-dominated world. For many non-human creatures, this means a fragmented world, as human conduits to friends, family and resources sever corridors that link the natural world. The expanding web of highways, cities and intensive agriculture traps many animals and plants in islands and cul-de-sacs of habitat, held back by barriers of geography or architecture from reaching mates, food, and wider resources.

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CHANS-Net events at AGU 2012 Fall Meeting: Final schedule

Oct. 17, 2012

CHANS-Net has organized a series of events at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in San Francisco, Dec. 3-7, 2012. The events will bring together CHANS-Net members, including investigators supported by the National Science Foundation’s program in Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH). A main goal of these annual events is to engage with scholarly communities to demonstrate the value of the coupled systems approach, so others are very much welcome to participate.

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Researchers show oil palm plantations are clearing carbon-rich tropical forests in Borneo

Oct. 8, 2012

Expanding production of palm oil, a common ingredient in processed foods, soaps and personal care products, is driving rainforest destruction and massive carbon dioxide emissions, according to a project led by a CHANS-Net researcher.

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NSF funds 18 CNH projects - 2012

Oct. 3, 2012

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH) program announced funding for 18 new projects in 2012; total funding for the awards is $17.6 million.

Research funded by CNH awards aims to provide a better understanding of natural processes and cycles and of human behavior and decisions -- and how and where they intersect.

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