Destination Area: Global Systems Science (GSS)
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GSS fosters transdisciplinary study of the dynamic interplay between natural and social systems. Faculty in this area collaborate to discover creative solutions to critical social problems emergent from human activity and environmental change, in areas such as freshwater and coastal water systems, rural environments, infectious disease, and food production and safety. Work in this area also embraces equity in the human condition by seeking the equitable distribution and availability of physical safety and well-being, psychological well-being, respect for human dignity, and access to crucial material and social resources throughout the world’s diverse communities.
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Browsing Destination Area: Global Systems Science (GSS) by Content Type "Report"
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- Advancing the Global Land Grant Institution: Creating a Virtual Environment to Re-envision Extension and Advance GSS-related Research, Education, and CollaborationHall, Ralph P.; Polys, Nicholas F.; Sforza, Peter M.; Eubank, Stephen D.; Lewis, Bryan L.; Krometis, Leigh-Anne H.; Pollyea, Ryan M.; Schoenholtz, Stephen H.; Sridhar, Venkataramana; Crowder, Van; Lipsey, John; Christie, Maria Elisa; Glasson, George E.; Scherer, Hannah H.; Davis, A. Jack; Dunay, Robert J.; King, Nathan T.; Muelenaer, Andre A.; Muelenaer, Penelope; Rist, Cassidy; Wenzel, Sophie (Virginia Tech, 2017-05-15)The vision for this project has emerged from several years of research, teaching, and service in Africa and holds the potential to internationalize education at Virginia Tech and in our partner institutions in Malawi. The vision is simple, to develop a state-of-the-art, data rich, virtual decision-support and learning environment that enables local-, regional-, and national-level actors in developed and developing regions to make decisions that improve resilience and sustainability. Achieving these objectives will require a system that can combine biogeophysical and sociocultural data in a way that enables actors to understand and leverage these data to enhance decision-making at various levels. The project will begin by focusing on water, agricultural, and health systems in Malawi, and can be expanded over time to include any sector or system in any country. The core ideas are inherently scalable...
- Antimicrobial Resistance Mitigation [ARM] Concept PaperVikesland, Peter J.; Alexander, Kathleen A.; Badgley, Brian D.; Krometis, Leigh-Anne H.; Knowlton, Katharine F.; Gohlke, Julia M.; Hall, Ralph P.; Hawley, Dana M.; Heath, Lenwood S.; Hession, W. Cully; Hull, Robert Bruce IV; Moeltner, Klaus; Ponder, Monica A.; Pruden, Amy; Schoenholtz, Stephen H.; Wu, Xiaowei; Xia, Kang; Zhang, Liqing (Virginia Tech, 2017-05-15)The development of viable solutions to the global threat of antimicrobial resistance requires a transdisciplinary approach that simultaneously considers the clinical, biological, social, economic, and environmental drivers responsible for this emerging threat. The vision of the Antimicrobial Resistance Mitigation (ARM) group is to build upon and leverage the present strengths of Virginia Tech in ARM research and education using a multifaceted systems approach. Such a framework will empower our group to recognize the interconnectedness and interdependent nature of this threat and enable the delineation, development, and testing of resilient approaches for its mitigation. We seek to develop innovative and sustainable approaches that radically advance detection, characterization, and prevention of antimicrobial resistance emergence and dissemination in human-dominated and natural settings...
- The Case for Productivity: Invigorating agricultural systems for the twenty-first centurySteensland, Ann; Thompson, T. (Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 2021-06-15)Accelerating agricultural productivity growth at all scales of production is imperative to meet the needs of consumers and address threats to human and environmental well-being.
- Cross-scale Perspectives: Integrating Long-term and High-frequency Data into Our Understanding of Communities and EcosystemsCarey, Cayelan C.; Cottingham, Kathryn L. (Ecological Society of America, 2016-01)Ecologists are amassing extensive data sets that include both long-term records documenting trends and variability in natural systems on inter-annual to decadal time scales and sensor-based measurements on minute to subhourly scales for extended periods (Hampton et al. 2013). Together, these long- term and high- frequency data are contributing to our ecological understanding. Although there have been several previous ESA sessions that have explored the insights provided by either long-term data or high frequency data, to our knowledge this organized oral session provided one of the first opportunities to synthesize the lessons learned from leveraging both long-term data and high-frequency approaches.
- Enhancing Food Security in Arab Countries - Phase II 2015-2017 External Evaluation ReportAlwang, Jeffrey R.; Duwayri, Mahmud; Qualset, Calvin (2018-04-18)The “Enhancing Food Security in Arab Countries” project (EFSAC) is an outstanding innovation to mobilize interventions to time-honored food production systems throughout a region having common environmental features. Thus, a transnational project using transdisciplinary approaches is highly relevant and is a concept that is only now becoming more widely advocated (Eigenbrode et al., 2018). The project was built on prior research that showed how food production may be increased to narrow the ‘yield gap’ between research situations and farmer’s fields. The innovation of selecting ‘lead’ farmers and applying yield-enhancing interventions on whole fields was an outstanding success. The appropriate field-scale comparisons to nearby fields that did not apply these technologies, called technology packages, showed an average of 25 % higher yields over all nine countries in EFSAC. This figure represents a good estimate of the true yield gap and this was well-noticed by the thousands of farmers and specialists who attended field days. The lead farmers became mentors to nearby farmers who, in some cases, formed ‘clusters’ of interested observers. We want to emphasize that EFSAC was an elegantly conceived project technically and from socio-economic realities. Results obtained were outstanding, as can be judged by the following single outcome: The adoption of new technology packages of practices showed great promise in reducing the yield gap for wheat production in each of the countries participating in the project. During this evaluation, interviews with farmers and administrators expressed great interest and satisfaction with the project. The Technical and Steering Committees provided guidance and decisions that were respected in the field. Leadership by ICARDA was a key to gel the various activities of the participants. The sites chosen in each country were representative of local agriculture. EFSAC demonstrated over a seven-year period of phase I and II that implementation of technology packages resulted in greater productivity over traditional cropping systems. But this is only one step in the development chain toward sustainable gains diffused throughout the agricultural communities of the nine countries in the project. The technology packages included ‘best’ practices for wheat production, including land preparation, nutrient fertilization, water-saving methods, and introduction of high-performing varieties of bread or durum wheat. The project introduced to farmers relatively new concepts, such as raised-bed cultivation for better irrigation, no-till production, adaptation of new wheat varieties, reduced seeding rate, among other innovations. Timing of pest management and fertilization was critical and innovations for communication to farmers with timely advice was recognized as essential. In Tunisia the Short Messaging System (SMS) was pioneered and found effective with a large number of users. In Phase II, socio-economic household surveys were begun and the results were not available at the time of the review. Those results will have strong bearing on future implementation and diffusion of these new cropping practices. The successes were many and deficiencies in the project were few. Some constraints were expressed by farmers and specialists. Attention to those constraints must be addressed as the diffusion process goes forward. For example, access to machinery was noted for no-till planting, equipment for efficient drip irrigation, seed supply and cleaning and treating facilities were limited. New schemes for supporting the manufacturing and distribution of such equipment are needed. Finally, small-holding farmers will be unable to own much of the equipment, but service providers should be facilitated to meet their needs. Private sector and farmer organizations should be encouraged to address these needs. One charge to the evaluation team was to consider the needs and opportunities for future work to diffuse technology packages that will address food security issues throughout the targeted region. The six-year life of EFSAC was too short to implement wide diffusion of practices, but some socio-economic and policy studies are in progress.
- Fostering University Collaboration and Building Capacity to Respond to Coastal Resilience Challenges in Virginia: Findings from the Rotating Resilience Roundtables Workshop Spring 2019Yusuf, Wie; Covi, Michelle; Bukvic, Anamaria; Allen, Tom; Oguntuyo, Taiwo (Old Dominion University, 2019-04-12)The second Resilience Roundtable event was held at the Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, on April 11 & 12, 2019. The roundtable discussions focused on the following themes of: 1) Changing Ecosystems; 2) Climate and Health; 3) Policy and Politics of Resilience; 4) Flooding and the Built Environment; and 5) Emergency Management and Adaptation Equity. In addition, the Virginia Sea Grant Director Troy Hartley gave a keynote address about Team Science to encourage thinking about team building while tackling coastal resilience issues. Other presentations covered topics ranging from urban flooding and emergency response to the Virginia Department of Health's efforts to address the public health impacts of climate change that are emerging as a priority for the Commonwealth.
- Global Systems Science: Library Space and ServicesWalters, Tyler (Virginia Tech Libraries, 2018-03)The VT Libraries imagine a commons in the Global Systems Science (GSS) building that support research and education and serves as an intellectual ecotone: a zone where several different ecosystems overlap, creating an environment for diverse and complex exchange dynamics. We see a science research commons as a similar system, bringing together research and education activities across a wide array of disciplines, programs, resources, and technologies in the GSS building. Librarians will serve a lead role in nurturing interdisciplinary dynamics, the exchange and transmission of ideas, and creation of new knowledge products.
- The Impact of Blockchain Technology on Food Insecurity through African Indigenous Vegetables in Western Kenya: Final ReportAgnew, Jessica L.; Hall, Ralph P.; Mwangi, Joseph; Sumner, Daniel M.; Kristofikova, Nurvitria (USAID LASER PULSE, 2022-05-16)This study is one of the first to explore how blockchain technology (BCT) could be used to improve food security in communities that are reliant on agriculture but are the last to receive services or access to markets, known as the ‘last-mile’. The goal was to determine how BCT could contribute to improving the income of African indigenous vegetable (AIV) value chain actors (e.g., producers, traders, and retailers) and to the affordability, availability, and accessibility of nutritious foods like AIVs for consumers. It finds that BCT can simultaneously strengthen the functionality of an entire agri-food value chain by increasing the efficiency of transactions among value chain actors, improving cooperation along the value chain, and enhancing access to information. A decrease in post-harvest loss, reduction in negotiation and search costs, and traceability of Grade A vegetables were facilitated by the blockchain functionality of the AgUnity V3 SuperApp. Producer income was improved by better meeting market demand, time savings on AIV activities, increasing the supply of Grade A vegetables, and making information on the vegetables more available to consumers. Increased incomes led to improved food security among producers by facilitating their ability to procure more food, especially higher quality proteins and fruits. Participants and consumers reported an increase in the consumption of AIVs over the study period because of increased quality, availability, and awareness of their nutritional importance.
- Integrative Science and Solutions for Freshwater Systems Concept Paper - A plan to build a signature-strength in Freshwater SystemsBenham, Brian L.; Czuba, Jonathan A.; Hession, W. Cully; Krometis, Leigh-Anne H.; Scott, Durelle T.; Stephenson, Stephen Kurt; Thompson, T. W.; Bork, Dean R.; Hester, Erich T.; Polys, Nicholas F.; Ivory, James Dee; Angermeier, Paul L.; Castello, Leandro; Dolloff, C. Andrew; Emrick, Verl III; Jones, Jess W.; McLaughlin, Daniel L.; Meyers, R. B.; Orth, Donald J.; Schoenholtz, Stephen H.; Snodgrass, Joel W.; Hotchkiss, Erin R.; Smith, Eric P. (Virginia Tech, 2017-05-15)Virginia Tech is poised to become a global leader in the pursuit and application of new knowledge to inform management and restoration of waterbodies and their watersheds. Despite our notable strengths in specific disciplines, we have not yet facilitated nor nurtured an interdisciplinary program whereby a holistic perspective of freshwater systems can permeate into VT-shaped students and bridge the gaps among water-relevant biophysical, social sciences, and the arts. We know of no other major research university with a signature-strength in integrated freshwater systems science...
- Key Priorities and University Roles to Address Coastal Resilience in Virginia: Findings from the Rotating Resilience Roundtables Workshop Fall 2018Bukvic, Anamaria; Covi, Michelle (Old Dominion University, 2018)The first Rotating Resilience Roundtables event took place on October 11 and 12, 2018 on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg and was co-organized between the Coastal@VT initiative at Virginia Tech and Old Dominion University/Virginia Sea Grant Climate Adaptation and Resilience Program. It was designed to respond to the need for a cohesive and policy-relevant science that will align and coordinate efforts between researchers and other stakeholders to benefit the Commonwealth’s resilience planning for changing conditions in coastal zone.
- Microbiology at the Nexus of Food, Energy, Water and HealthBadgley, Brian D.; Boyer, Renee R.; Dufour, Monique; He, Zhen (Jason); Hungerford, Laura L.; Kiechle, Melanie A.; Kuhn, David D.; Lawrence, Christopher B.; Marr, Linsey C.; Melville, Stephen B.; Pierson, F. William; Popham, David L.; Senger, Ryan S.; Sumner, Susan S.; Vinatzer, Boris A.; Schmale, David G. III; Stevens, Ann M. (Virginia Tech, 2017-05-15)Microorganisms are absolutely critical to myriad aspects of the human existence. As a field of study, microbiology could and should serve a greater role on our campus, as it has key connections with many of the Destination and Strategic Growth Areas. We propose the development of a broad concept area in microbiology that will serve as a nexus, as it is applied to solve critical global challenges related to food, energy, water and health, by bridging across multiple disciplines at Virginia Tech (VT). There is increasing recognition of microbes as a driving force in natural and managed environments, biological processes, and ecological structure. Conversely, the importance of culture and individual behavior in affecting microbial communities has also become apparent....
- Modeling the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa, August 4th 2014 updateLewis, Bryan L.; Rivers, Caitlin; Eubank, Stephen; Marathe, Marathe; Barrett, Christopher L. (2014)
- One Health Approach to Emerging Viral and Vector-borne DiseasesBertke, Andrea S.; Paulson, Sally L.; Rist, Cassidy; Kolivras, Korine N.; Hungerford, Laura L.; Alexander, Kathleen A.; Ragan, Valerie; Gohlke, Julia M. (Virginia Tech, 2017-05-15)Understanding the spatial and temporal distribution of novel infectious diseases is among the most important and challenging tasks for the coming century. Emerging viral and vector-borne diseases are a significant threat to humans, animals, and plants across the globe. In the previous 40 years, the number of new emergent pathogens affecting humans have increased more than 300%. Approximately 60% of these organisms are zoonotic, transferred to humans from animals, and the number of vector-borne pathogens have increased more than 300% in the same time frame. Viruses affecting plants impact agricultural food sources, as well as regional and global economies. Understanding how these pathogens emerge and evolve, transmit from animals to humans and adapt to new hosts to increase morbidity and mortality, spread geospatially and temporally through regions or the global community, and how human behavior and beliefs impact these processes are of critical importance...
- Opportunity for a New Destination Area: Global Systems Science(Virginia Tech, 2016-10-01)From August 2016 to December 2016 (Design Phase I of the GSS DA), faculty from across campus developed a “white paper” that lays out the overall vision and overarching areas of inquiry for the GSS DA.
- Organized Oral Session 44: Impacts of Species Addition and Species Loss on Ecosystem Function in Freshwater SystemsCapps, Krista A.; Atkinson, Carla L.; Rugenski, Amanda; Baxter, Colden V.; Boersma, Kate S.; Carey, Cayelan C.; McIntyre, Peter B.; Moore, Jonathan W.; Nowlin, Weston H.; Vaughn, Caryn C. (Ecological Society of America, 2012-10)Understanding the role of species as drivers of ecosystem processes is imperative to preserve, utilize, and sustain ecosystems globally. Addition of species through invasion and loss of species through extirpation or extinction can have profound effects on ecosystem structure and function (Zavaleta et al. 2009). This is especially true for freshwater ecosystems in which a preponderance of native species are threatened with extinction and where nonnative species are frequently introduced (Dudgeon and Smith 2006). Commonly, anthropogenic activities result in the loss of biodiversity and enhance the ability of exotic species to invade and persist in novel habitats (Dudgeon and Smith 2006). Because these activities are expected to increase through time, advances in understanding the consequences of species loss and addition on ecosystem function are needed to guide appropriate management and conservation decisions. The loss and addition of organisms may render habitats functionally impaired (Covich et al. 2004); therefore, understanding the consequences of such change is imperative to manage, mitigate, and restore freshwater ecosystems.
- Reducing Sediment in Stroubles Creek, Blacksburg, VAHession, W. Cully (2017-04-30)Upstream urbanization, stream channelization, and livestock access have resulted in significant sediment loading to Stroubles Creek, resulting in a benthic macroinvertebrate community impairment. Developed in 2006, the Stroubles Creek TMDL Implementation Plan identified the need for additional agricultural, stream channel, and stormwater management best management practices (BMPs) to address the aquatic life impairment in Stroubles Creek. Numerous groups have installed BMPs throughout the watershed over the years; however, sediment is still a major issue. We assembled the Stroubles Creek Improvement Partnership (SCIP) to continue reducing sediment loading to Stroubles Creek, which includes the Virginia Tech (VT) Biological Systems Engineering department (BSE), VT Office of Site & Infrastructure Development (SID), the Town of Blacksburg, and the Stroubles Creek Restoration Initiative (SCRI). We implemented the following BMPs as part of Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ) grant #15946: Agricultural: One stream exclusion fencing with grazing land management, which included 1200 feet of fencing, one livestock watering system, and 4.5‐ac of riparian buffer plantings (485 hardwood trees and shrubs); Stream Channel: Two riparian buffer plantings; one with 65 container trees and shrubs planted along Holtan Branch in an apartment complex, and one 900 feet long with 440 hardwood trees within a 3‐ac riparian zone; and Stormwater Management: Three bioretention cells treating runoff from two roofs and one parking lot at an apartment complex. We developed education and outreach programming that included a InfoGraphic about Stroubles Creek for the general public, a high school science module about Stroubles Creek and the importance of stream in general, an online self‐guided tour of stormwater management and other important features within the Stroubles Creek watershed, and a SCIP website. Additionally, we created educational signage for the installed BMPs and worked with several student groups to add sections of Stroubles Creek to the VDCR Adopt‐A‐Stream program.
- SmartPlants and SmartFarms for Global Food, Feed, and Fiber SecurityAbaye, Azenegashe Ozzie; Balota, Maria; Bombarely Gomez, Aureliano; Clark, Susan F.; Evanylo, Gregory K.; Fox, Thomas R.; Grabau, Elizabeth; Haak, David C.; Holliday, Jason A.; Kroehler, Carolyn J.; Lowman, James Scott; McDowell, John M.; Raun, Patricia; Saghai-Maroof, Mohammad A.; Schmale, David G. III; Tholl, Dorothea; Thomason, Wade E.; Tokekar, Pratap; Veilleux, Richard E.; Vinatzer, Boris A.; Westwood, James; Wynne, Randolph H.; Zhao, Bingyu (Virginia Tech, 2017-05-15)Meeting the food, feed, and fiber needs of a growing world population represents one of the signature challenges of this century. The UN FAO estimates that food production alone must increase by 70 percent by 2050 to meet the needs of a projected nine billion people. Demand will also increase for livestock feed, biofuel feedstocks, fiber for paper products, and construction materials. Meeting these demands will require implementation of advanced technologies, sustainable management of natural resources, and coordination of political forces. We must think beyond the boundaries of traditional agriculture, to integrate breakthroughs in plant science, engineering, environmental sciences, and other disciplines...
- Stresses and Instability in Coastal Systems: Sustaining Prosperity, Increasing Diversity and Achieving ResilienceWeiss, Robert; Bukvic, Anamaria; Dayer, Ashley A.; Fraser, James D.; Karpanty, Sarah M.; Catlin, Daniel H.; Juran, Luke; Wynne, Randolph H.; Gohlke, Julia M.; Boyle, Kevin J.; Irish, Jennifer L.; Leon, Roberto T.; Zobel, Christopher W.; Rees, Loren P.; Zhang, Yang; Schenk, Todd; Dixit, Priya (Virginia Tech, 2017-05-15)More than half of the world’s human population lives within 40 miles of the sea. Coastal cities are the backbone of global finance, trade, manufacturing, and transportation. Millions of people worldwide travel to beaches for recreation. Coastal fisheries and aquaculture are key sources of food, and the chief source of protein in most developing countries. The coast is home to a diverse range of plants and animals, some commercially valuable, some threatened or endangered, and all part of unique ecosystems. Coastal livelihoods, tourism, fish and wildlife species, and ecosystem services are threatened by climate change and its associated impact on coastal hazards. Flooding and coastal disasters from New York to Kolkata have killed thousands of people and cost trillions of dollars. By 2100 more than 100 million people could be displaced by sea-level change, 13 million in the U.S. alone. The stability of the global economy is threatened by sea-level change...
- Sustaining the CAADP Momentum: Strategies and Policies to Support Household Resilience to DroughtMills, Bradford F.; Gao, Jianfeng; Kostandini, Gentian; Ruisike, J.; Murray, Anthony G. (2016-04-12)Agriculture is the most important sector in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and will be the hardest hit by climate change. Country agricultural sectors will be impacted by climate change in different ways. But, in most cases, climate change will bring substantial welfare loses, especially to smallholder farmers for whom agriculture is a main source of livelihood. However even without future climate change, current welfare losses from smallholder exposure to drought and rainfall variability are large. Thus, there is an urgent need for the AU and National Governments, through the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) aligned national strategies and Climate Change Adaption Framework, to roll out tangible local, national, and continental policies that ameliorate adverse effects that current climate variability and future climate change have on vulnerable smallholders. This policy brief identifies strategies and policy interventions that can anticipate and mitigate the impacts that drought, low rainfall and other adverse climatic events have on rural households in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Adaptation strategies include growing drought-resident varieties of crops and use of water retention techniques such as drip irrigation, small dams and community water supply boreholes, as well as diversification of income to off-farm sources. The brief calls on regional organizations, national governments, and development partners to define robust integrated policies and actions that support and augment existing household agricultural and non-agricultural adaptation efforts.
- Understanding residents’ perspectives about drinking water in the Roanoke ValleyGrupper, Madeline A.; Sorice, Michael G. (2020-09)This document provides descriptive data for a survey conducted September through November of 2019 on a random sample of residents in the Roanoke Valley of Virginia who receive in-home water from a municipal source. Details about sampling and data collection are available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/99860