Funded Grant Projects: 2004

Dr. Menandro Acda
University of the Philippines Los Banos, College, Laguna, Philippines

"Using Volcanic Debris to Prevent Termite Invasion into Homes and Timber Structures in the Philippines"

(Category: Conservation of General Resources)

The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 deposited a huge volume of ash and volcanic debris around the surrounding slopes of the volcano. The most serious environmental problem following such natural disaster is post eruption mudflows (called lahar). Lahar is a mixture of ash, volcanic debris and water. It has been described as mudflow with consistency of wet cement. Over time, heavy rains wash away lahar down into surrounding lowland areas causing serious economic damage to the community as agricultural land, irrigation sources, and entire villages are buried in loose ash and volcanic debris. Termites are serious structural pests of homes and wooden structures in the Philippines. Structural and financial damages caused by these insects are estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Dr. Acda hopes to address both problems by studying the effectiveness of using lahar as physical barrier to prevent subterranean termites from tunneling and invading homes and timber structures in the Philippines. This technique could provide an alternative to the use of chemical pesticides currently used to control termites, provide employment opportunities for the local residents, while helping restore the land and improving water quality. This Musser/Lindbergh grant in conservation has been made possible by a gift from The Laura Jane Musser Fund.

Dr. Jacque Carter
University of New England, Biddeford, Maine

"Using Advanced Tracking Technology to Monitor Movement of Hatchery-Reared Fish Released to Restore the Threatened Nassau Grouper in the Caribbean"

(Category: Conservation of Animal Resources)

Overfishing and habitat degradation have reduced populations of many commercially valuable fish to dangerously low levels around the world. A recent survey of Nassau grouper showed only two of at least nine spawning sites with more than 150 grouper. The remaining sites have been fished out, and if nothing is done, extinction in the next few years is likely. Dr. Carter believes that marine reserves may be an appropriate management tool for the Nassau grouper, however more research is needed to determine the ideal size, number, total area and location of reserves to achieve specific management goals for the protection and conservation of the grouper in Belize. Using acoustic tags inside 35-40 hatchery-raised juvenile and young adult grouper, Carter will evaluate their seasonal habitat to determine if the reserve provides the necessary elements for success. Using the data from this study, Dr. Carter will develop a conservation plan with specific objectives and methodologies and will work to ensure the plan is initiated by the national government. It is hoped that the Belize Department of Fisheries will use this data to revise existing management plans for the conservation of groupers. The research is likely to benefit other species that spawn in the reserve and will be helpful to managers of similar marine reserves elsewhere.

Carlos Valerio A. Gomes
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

"Evaluating Sustainable Land Use Strategies to Economically Sustain Brazilian Rubber Tappers who are Turning to Cattle Ranching and Cash Crop Agriculture in Amazon Rain Forest Reserves"

(Category: Conservation of Plant Resources)

In the late 1980s extractive reserves (rainforest areas, inhabited by traditional populations, designated for the purpose of sustainable harvest of forest products) were established in the Southwest Brazilian Amazon as a strategy for forest conservation and economic stability for rubber tappers to protect their land against encroaching large-scale cattle ranchers. In recent years, falling prices for products like rubber and Brazil nuts have led many families to take on small-scale cattle ranching and cash-crop agriculture to improve their economic position. These practices, however, have resulted in increased deforestation in many areas of the reserve. Mr. Gomes will study how rubber tapper communities make decisions about land use in response to social, political, and conservation pressures, and will use remote sensing and GIS technology to measure and monitor land-use changes within the reserve. This baseline information can then be used for suggesting public policies for the use of the reserve forest and its conservation. This Fried/Lindbergh grant in conservation has been made possible by a gift from Al Fried and Reeve Lindbergh.

Dr. Ronald L. Jenkins
Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama

"Determining the Critical Habitat Needs and Endangered Status of the Beach Wolf Spider on the Sand Dunes of the Northern Gulf Coast"

(Category: Conservation of Animal Resources)

The entire northern rim of the Gulf of Mexico has experienced a gradual erosion of their beaches over the past 40 years. At the same time, native hardwood forests just inland from the beach are being removed to make room for beachfront condominiums and other development. With no inland forest for protection, beaches are literally washed away during severe storms. As the beach disappears, so do the secondary dunes, which comprise the habitat of the Beach Wolf Spider. Dr. Jenkins plans to conduct population surveys of the spider at 20 different beach sites along the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida panhandle. Using GPS and GIS technology he will map viable populations of the spider and compare them to maps of forest, commercial, and residential developments to correlate the relationship between healthy spider populations and inland commercialization. Ultimately he would like to determine if this species of spider warrants protection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. If the Beach Wolf Spider is endangered, beach areas or ecosystems where healthy populations exist would be protected from development.
This Lindbergh/Hubbs grant in animal conservation has been made possible by a gift from the Hubbs family in loving memory of Ronald M. Hubbs.

Jeremy Klitzke
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California

"Creating Nano-Sized Material for Efficient Thermoelectric Generators"

(Category: Conservation of General Resources-Energy)

Humanity is demanding an increasing supply of energy. Yet, we have just begun to understand and respond to the consequences of our unwise consumption, such as dwindling energy supplies, pollution from burning fossil fuels, and storing and treating nuclear waste. Thermoelectric devices, which convert heat energy into electrical energy, have been too expensive and inefficient to warrant widespread use. The development of nanowires (a few thousandths to millionths the thickness of a human hair) offers new hope for significant advancements in thermoelectric technology. Mr. Klitzke will explore the thermoelectric properties of specialized nanowires that have the potential to generate cleaner and more economical energy. He will then determine the best method of production as a first step toward creating a superior thermoelectric material. Widespread use of thermoelectric generators would decrease pollution as natural resources are more efficiently converted into electrical energy. Thermoelectric devices could be attached to a variety of current heat sources to capture electricity that would otherwise be dispersed into the environment as waste.

Brenda B. Lin
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

"Determining Optimal Shade Levels on Coffee Plantations in Mexico to Promote Maximum Water Efficiency and Crop Production"

(Categories: Conservation of Water Resources and Agriculture)

Coffee is traditionally grown in the shade on the mountainsides of Mexico. Increased competition from growers in other countries has caused a drop in prices on the world coffee market. With hopes of increasing production and their income, many Mexican farmers are removing shade trees to allow more sunlight to reach the coffee plant as well as increasing chemical fertilizer and pesticide use. Ms. Lin's project addresses how this type of deforestation affects not only the habitat of many small animals and birds that live in the forest understory, but emphasizes how more water is used and leaves the system through increased evaporation and run-off. This creates a negative effect on yield and product quality. In addition, nutrient levels in the soil may be compromised from the lack of leaf litter. Ms. Lin will use meteorological and soil testing equipment to determine optimal shade levels for the coffee plants and the most efficient use of limited water resources.
This Lindbergh/Lloyd grant in agriculture has been made possible by a gift from Maureen Boles Lloyd in loving memory of James W. Lloyd.

Dr. Silvana Vero
Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay

"Developing a Safe Alternative to Post-Harvest Chemical Fungicides Using a Biological Treatment for Citrus Fruit Grown in Uruguay"

(Category: Agriculture)

Post harvest losses of fruits and vegetables range from 10 to 30% depending on the species and technologies used in packinghouses. Traditionally, chemical fungicides have been used to control the most common forms of loss, but these fungi (such as the one causing blue mold) are becoming increasingly resistant to current chemical treatments. In addition, public concern about the escalating of use of these chemicals has emphasized the need to find alternative methods to control post harvest infections. Dr. Vero plans to develop a more effective post harvest treatment for citrus fruit that avoids chemical fungicides and uses naturally occurring substances and/or non-harmful microorganisms that are adapted to live on the surface of fruit. The treatment will be based on biological control methods that are inexpensive, environmentally sound, and healthier for the consumer. This Lindbergh/Hallward grant in agriculture has been made possible by a gift from Clare Hallward.

Danielle J. Whittaker
City University of New York Graduate Center, New York, New York

"Identifying and Conserving the Genetic Diversity of the Kloss's Gibbon While Balancing the Nature of the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia with the Culture of its People"

(Category: Conservation of Animal Resources)

The Kloss's gibbon is one of the world's most endangered ape species. Increased logging and oil palm plantations are threatening the culture of the Mentawai Islands, a small isolated chain of islands in Indonesia, where the gibbons live. The relationship between the needs of humans and wildlife has become increasingly unbalanced, resulting in uncertainty and controversy over land use. In this study, Ms. Whittaker plans to assess the remaining number of Kloss's gibbons throughout the Mentawai Islands. Using genetic data from DNA testing of fecal samples, she will evaluate how many distinct populations of gibbons exist within the species, and will create a conservation plan that will target specific areas on the island that are critical to the survival of the gibbons, while allowing human access to natural resources outside those areas.
This Lindbergh/Lloyd grant in animal conservation has been made possible by a gift from Maureen Boles Lloyd in loving memory of James W. Lloyd.