This article introduces the concept of glacier justice as a new way to analyze, understand, and r... more This article introduces the concept of glacier justice as a new way to analyze, understand, and respond to ice loss and climate change in Peru, the Andes, and internationally. Glacier justice explores complex societal dynamics, multiple storylines, and diverse interactions across communities and with glaciers, water, hazards, and climate -- rather than simply lamenting lost ice or documenting its decline. The concept is built on work in both environmental justice and the environmental humanities to expose systematic forms of inequality and injustices, and to let communities drive research questions and directions. The article focuses on three main approaches to help advance glacier justice: (1) community-led research as opposed to community participation; (2) the incorporation of diverse forms of knowledge; and (3) a deeper analysis and understanding of vulnerability to avoid deterministic and linear ideas that center on technoscientific expertise.Resumen Este artículo presenta el c...
Despite the central role of microorganisms in soil fertility, little understanding exists regardi... more Despite the central role of microorganisms in soil fertility, little understanding exists regarding the impact of management practices and soil microbial diversity on soil processes. Strong correlations among soil microbial composition, management practices, and microbially mediated processes have been previously shown. However, limited integration of the different parameters has hindered our understanding of agroecosystem functioning. Multivariate analyses of these systems allow simultaneous evaluation of the parameters and can lead to hypotheses on the microbial groups involved in specific nutrient transformations. In the present study, using a multivariate approach, we investigated the effect of microbial composition (16SrDNA sequencing) and soil properties in carbon mineralization (CMIN) (BIOLOG™, Hayward, CA, USA) across different management categories on coffee agroecosystems in Mexico. Results showed that (i) changes in soil physicochemical variables were related to managemen...
Incorporating the views and perceptions of local farmers and other actors with stakes in agricult... more Incorporating the views and perceptions of local farmers and other actors with stakes in agricultural production is critical for better-informed decision making and tackling pressing issues, such as soil degradation. We conducted a study that sought to integrate and analyze perceptions regarding the quality and degradation of agricultural soils across different social sectors in Mexico, including producers of two annual crops (maize and beans) and two perennial crops (coffee and avocado), members of civil society organizations and members of the Federal Government. We analyzed the community perception using Cognitive Maps and network metrics. Our fully documented method to formally gather and analyze local and regional perceptions can be used in future efforts toward the collective design of sustainable food systems. Our results highlighted common and potentially conflicting aspects among the different perceptions and allowed us to identify and discuss drivers and processes of speci...
This article introduces the concept of glacier justice as a new way to analyze, understand, and r... more This article introduces the concept of glacier justice as a new way to analyze, understand, and respond to ice loss and climate change in Peru, the Andes, and internationally. Glacier justice explores complex societal dynamics, multiple storylines, and diverse interactions across communities and with glaciers, water, hazards, and climate -- rather than simply lamenting lost ice or documenting its decline. The concept is built on work in both environmental justice and the environmental humanities to expose systematic forms of inequality and injustices, and to let communities drive research questions and directions. The article focuses on three main approaches to help advance glacier justice: (1) community-led research as opposed to community participation; (2) the incorporation of diverse forms of knowledge; and (3) a deeper analysis and understanding of vulnerability to avoid deterministic and linear ideas that center on technoscientific expertise.Resumen Este artículo presenta el c...
Despite the central role of microorganisms in soil fertility, little understanding exists regardi... more Despite the central role of microorganisms in soil fertility, little understanding exists regarding the impact of management practices and soil microbial diversity on soil processes. Strong correlations among soil microbial composition, management practices, and microbially mediated processes have been previously shown. However, limited integration of the different parameters has hindered our understanding of agroecosystem functioning. Multivariate analyses of these systems allow simultaneous evaluation of the parameters and can lead to hypotheses on the microbial groups involved in specific nutrient transformations. In the present study, using a multivariate approach, we investigated the effect of microbial composition (16SrDNA sequencing) and soil properties in carbon mineralization (CMIN) (BIOLOG™, Hayward, CA, USA) across different management categories on coffee agroecosystems in Mexico. Results showed that (i) changes in soil physicochemical variables were related to managemen...
Incorporating the views and perceptions of local farmers and other actors with stakes in agricult... more Incorporating the views and perceptions of local farmers and other actors with stakes in agricultural production is critical for better-informed decision making and tackling pressing issues, such as soil degradation. We conducted a study that sought to integrate and analyze perceptions regarding the quality and degradation of agricultural soils across different social sectors in Mexico, including producers of two annual crops (maize and beans) and two perennial crops (coffee and avocado), members of civil society organizations and members of the Federal Government. We analyzed the community perception using Cognitive Maps and network metrics. Our fully documented method to formally gather and analyze local and regional perceptions can be used in future efforts toward the collective design of sustainable food systems. Our results highlighted common and potentially conflicting aspects among the different perceptions and allowed us to identify and discuss drivers and processes of speci...
Uploads
Papers by Adriana Uscanga