Author Archives: cyclone1981

Climate Research Resources Iowa has not developed a statewide adaptation plan to address climate change. However, farmers and agricultural specialists have taken steps to increase carbon sequestration by eschewing traditional farming and utilizing regenerative farming techniques to build resilience in the soil and protect future food supply against threats of climate change. https://climatechangeresources.org/iowa/ National OceanicContinue reading “Climate and Weather Research Tools”

Video contains a swarm of butterflies emerging and becoming active in early morning of an early summer morning. Enjoy.

https://virginiatech.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=b6a1cfdfdee546179cca94cf4537f69d Here is my attempt at utilizing ArcGIS for the first time. I found it to be a little less “user-friendly” than the other two applications however as I stated in a previous blog I really like the Living Atlas Layers which provide a variety of terrain, geographical and vegetation variables to the selected area.

https://earth.google.com/web/@42.38433117,-91.24718647,303.92368975a,2963.92841395d,35y,0.00000001h,45.0140608t,0r/data=MikKJwolCiExaUtvM3VaOWI5UzdWTmxhc1Axbmlmazh1TmxoMmplN3ggAQ I also used Google Earth as part of this project and found it easier to use in a few functions including loading and editing the photos as well as adjusting the viewpoint of he terrain. Simply another option.

Google My Maps is easy to navigate, and I really like the ease of adding photos to the various points of interest and a brief description.  This product would be very helpful in providing specific locations for research including sampling of various species, water quality and progress/control of invasive species tracking. Note: I did experienceContinue reading “Google My Maps – Brayton Forest”

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Why is Biodiversity Important? When you think of biodiversity do you imagine a tropical rainforest with a myriad of lush green and flowering plants, teeming with birds, insects, and other creatures? Of course, the rainforests are diverse, but biodiversity is important in our everyday lives as well. Biodiversity is important locally, regionally, nationally, and ofContinue reading “Why is Biodiversity Important?”

As part of this blog to understand the many issues the State of Iowa environment is facing is the issue of its biodiversity. As Iowa continues and intensifies its monoculture approach to agriculture it threatens the very basis that once made Iowa and other great plains states so suitable for agriculture 150 years ago. ItsContinue reading “Biodiversity”

Brayton Memorial Forest My semester research project will focus on Brayton Memorial Forest, a working research forest associated with Iowa State University and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Located in N.E. Iowa, Brayton Forest is a 307-acre diverse forest stand consisting of oaks, hickory, black walnut, butternut, soft and hard maple, and ash.  TheContinue reading “Brayton Memorial Forest”

It is now mid-February and the ground is covered in 12-15 inches of snow here in Iowa. Last week the temperatures were consistently below zero for daytime highs and frigid at night. This weekend we are expected a respite from the arctic cold as the temperatures will be in the twenties and low thirties. TheContinue reading “The Depths of Winter”