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INVESTIGATOR: Chan-Halbrendt, C.; Evensen, C.; Lepczyk, C.; Litton, C.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII
2530 DOLE STREET SAKAMAKI D200
HONOLULU, HAWAII 96822

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FELLOWSHIPS FOR INTEGRATIVE TRAINING IN SUSTAINABLE SCIENCES (UH-FITSS)

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Natural Resource and Environmental Management (NREM) Department has a well established graduate program in natural resource and environmental management emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to learning and problem solving. Our goal with this proposal is to create an interdisciplinary cohort of graduate Fellows to provide an integrative student training model for the future of NREM and similar efforts nationwide. This will be accomplished by recruiting exceptional graduate Fellows to work in the interrelated areas such as : 1. ecosystem services, 2. sustainable ecosystem management, 3. community watershed management, and 4. environmental valuation and policy using the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan as an overarching framework. The Fellows will engage in conceptual modeling exercises to foster linkages between disciplinary perspectives, and to identify research problems and overarching research agenda. The Fellows will also synthesize their research findings for broader dissemination at local and international meetings. Outputs of the project are publications, quality graduates in the targeted area of integrative sciences, leaders in the profession, and graduates that attained competency in: integrative environmental research using tools and/approaches from different disciplines, and communication skills for both scientific and lay audience.

OBJECTIVES: The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management (NREM) at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa (UHM) proposes to recruit and retain two Ph.D. Fellows in the targeted expertise shortage area in Integrated Biosciences for Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems (TESA 7). This Fellowship program will be a model for interdisciplinary research and analysis of sustainable sciences to students and faculty in NREM, and to similar programs nationwide. Thus we propose to train two Fellows in TESA 7 under the Interdisciplinary, Sustainable Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Social Sciences and Economics Graduate Degree Programs (Code G) discipline. Outputs of the project are publications, quality graduates in the targeted area of integrative sciences, leaders in the profession, and graduates that attained competency in: integrative environmental research using tools and/approaches from different disciplines, and communication skills for both scientific and lay audience.

APPROACH: To guide and mentor the Fellow we will use the following steps. 1. During the first year, the Fellows will engage in conceptual modeling exercises with project directors monthly. 2. Use the 2050 Sustainability Plan framework to identify research problems. 3. Fellows will engage in guided research by the Faculty team based on the overarching research agenda as it relates to the 2050 Sustainability Plan and sustainability science. 4. Fellows will work together to synthesize their findings into larger products for additional dissemination beyond what is expected for their dissertations.

PROGRESS: 2010/08 TO 2015/08
Target Audience:Target audiences were the public, state and federal natural resource agencies, researchers, and private landowners. Research was presented at a total of eight conferences and three seminars where researchers, non-profits, NGOs, students, and government officials attended. The general public was also reached during the project by administering surveys; 551 people were introduced to the idea of habitat having a monetary value, and 452 people were introduced to the idea of forest aesthetics having a monetary value. An educational workshop targeting middle-school girls was held about environmental economics to get them interested in science and technology. Changes/Problems:Erin Zanre (formerly Guth) has withdrawn from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and is no longer receiving funding from the NNF program. Julia Rowe has had no major changes to her program or dissertation. Katherine Wilson was added to the project and since then has had no major changes to her program or thesis and completed her graduate program in 2015. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Each fellow attended and presented at multiple conferences. Both fellows attended and presented at the Hawaii Conservation Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. One fellow presented at the Hawaii Conservation Conference in Hilo, Hawaii. This conference is a great networking event that each of the fellows was exposed too. It also provided the opportunity to share their research with the rest of the natural resource and conservation community in Hawaii. One fellow attended theInternational Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) 26th World Congress in Salt Lake City, Utah. This conference is the largest forest research conference in the world and it was the first time its been hosted in the United States since 1971. This international conference meets every five years to unite public and private stakeholders in the forestry industry from around the world. It is estimated that about 3,000 delegates from 100 different countries attended the World Congress. The opportunity to attend and present at this conference greatly aided the fellow's professional development, as well as provide feedback on their research from the international community. PDs Dr. Christopher Lepczyk and Dr. Creighton Litton provided the primary guidance to the fellow in the development and execution of her dissertation research. PD Dr. Catherine Chan-Halbrendt and committee member Dr. Kirsten Oleson continue to guide one fellow (Julia) in the economic and policy aspects of her work. Dr Brian Popp, committee member, continues to guide the fellow on stable isotope aspects of the dissertation. Julia has partnered with the Kauai Endangered Seabird Project (KESP) for her fieldwork and for economic data concerning seabird restoration. In her collaboration with KESP, she is not only collecting data for her dissertation, but she has the opportunity to work closely with a researcher from another university who is conducting isotopic research on seabird feathers and using geolocators to learn more about bird movements throughout the year. Also with KESP, Julia has the opportunity to help in the field with other tasks including, but not limited to, running song meters that record seabird calls to estimate numbers, and identifying native plants with experts from the National Tropical Botanical Garden's Upper Limahuli Preserve. She is also working closely with Alex Wegman of Island Conservation concerning the economic aspects of seabird restoration in Hawaii. All these collaboration opportunities have provided professional development. PD Dr. Catherine Chan provides guidance to the other fellow (Katherine) on developing and executing her research. Dr. Chan's guidance helped Katherine receive a NAUFRP scholarship that waived the conference fee to attend the IUFRO World Congress in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr. J.B. Friday also provides guidance on Katherine's research objectives. Katherine partnered with the US Forest Service and Hawaii Forest Institute for the conjoint choice experiment on koa wood preferences and implications. Katherine also teamed with STEM to present the conjoint choice experiment study to a group of young girls interested in science careers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Through survey efforts, a total of 1,003 Hawaiian residents and visitors read about the project's objectives and methods. Most of these people had not heard about ecosystem service valuation and the survey was a good outreach tool to enhance the public's understanding about the topic. One fellow also teamed with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) to present the conjoint choice experiment study to a group of young girls interested in science careers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

IMPACT: 2010/08 TO 2015/08
What was accomplished under these goals? This project focused on interdisciplinary research, and project goals were accomplished by mentoring fellows, collecting primary data, presenting research at conferences, and integrating policy, economics, ecology, and culture into research implications. A portion of one fellow's research involved the quantification of nutrient inputs by seabirds into a tropical montane ecosystem. Through analyzing soil samples, it could be determined that sulfur was not going to be able to be used to trace nutrient origin in tropical montane forests in Hawaii. Likely the amount of sulfur that is blown in on sea-spray mirrors the sulfur that is brought in by nesting seabirds. This is important to understand as scientists look for was to track and study nutrient flows and origins. Another fellow's research involved valuing two non-market ecosystem services in Hawaii. Through surveying Hawaiian residents by using the contingent valuation method, the fellow was able to derive an average monetary value for koa forest habitat and koa forest aesthetics. This value is important because it conveys to the public, to the government, and to private landowners, that Hawaiian residents value these services and are willing to pay money for these services. This value should be taken into account in land management in Hawaii and used it as an incentive to preserve koa forests. This can also be the catalyst to change people's perspectives on forest conservation and that conservation should be done for multiple reasons including habitat and aesthetics: services people can overlook when managing a forest. Each fellow's knowledge, confidence, and leadership have grown. Each has the ability to independently plan research activities through being mentoring and conducting studies that required the collection of primary data. From attending and presenting at multiple conferences, the fellows have the ability to communicate their technical research effectively with a variety of people. They also are able to be leaders in the natural resources profession by integrating multiple disciplines into their research.

PUBLICATIONS (not previously reported): 2010/08 TO 2015/08
1. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Rowe, Julia. "Seabird contribution to nutrient deposition in Hawaiian tropical montane ecosystems." Paper presented at the International Conference on Island Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation, Honolulu, Hawaii, July 7-11, 2014.
2. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Rowe, Julia. ?A valuation of seabird restoration in Hawaii.? Paper presented at the Hawaii Conservation Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii, July 15-17, 2014.
3. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wilson, Katherine. ?A Valuation Framework of Restored and Natural koa Forest Ecosystem Services.? Poster presented at the 2nd Annual Sustainability in Higher Education Summit, Kaneohe, Hawaii, March 13-15, 2014.
4. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wilson, Katherine. ?Valuation of Biodiversity in Primary Koa-dominated Forests in Hawaii.? Poster presented at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) Student Research Symposium, Honolulu, Hawaii, April 11, 2014.
5. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wilson, Katherine. ?Evaluating the Net Benefits of Primary and Restored Koa Forest Ecosystem Services.? Paper presented at the Hawaii Conservation Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii, July 15-17, 2014.
6. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wilson, Katherine. ?Contingent Valuation Of Biodiversity In Primary Koa-Dominated Forests In Hawaii.? Paper presented at the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) World Congress, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 6-11, 2014.
7. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Wilson, Katherine. ?Evaluating the Publics Aesthetic Value for old and new Growth Acacia koa Forests?. Paper presented at the CTAHR Student Research Symposium, Honolulu, Hawaii, April 11, 2015.
8. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Lowell, Eini and Katherine Wilson. ?Market Appeal of Hawaiian koa wood product characteristics: a Consumer Preference Study.? Paper presented at the 58th International Convention of the Society of Wood Science and Technology, Jackson, Wyoming, June 7-12, 2015.
9. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Wilson, Katherine. ?Evaluating the Publics Aesthetic Value for Old and New Growth Acacia koa Forests.? Poster presented at the Hawaii Conservation Conference, Hilo, Hawaii, August 3-6, 2015.
10. Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Wilson, Katherine A., Chan, Catherine, and J.B., Friday. ?A Valuation of Endemic Old-growth Koa-dominated Forest Aesthetics in Hawaii?. Ecosystem Services. Submitted August 2015.

PROGRESS: 2010/08/15 TO 2011/08/14
OUTPUTS: Each Fellow attended scientific conferences throughout the year. Both Fellows attended the Hawaii Ecosystems Meeting in Hilo, Hawaii, which is a series of meetings and talks given and attended by students, academics and land managers on topics primarily concerning ecosystems in Hawaii. In addition, both Fellows attended and presented posters at the Hawaii Conservation Conference (HCC) in Honolulu, HI. As stated by the Hawaii Conservation Alliance, the conference sponsors, "The annual Hawaii Conservation Conference (HCC) is the largest gathering of people actively involved in the protection and management of Hawaii's natural environment. The purpose of the conference is to facilitate information transfer and interaction between natural resource managers and the scientific community." The Fellows presented posters on their proposed dissertation research to gain valuable feedback from other scientists and land managers from throughout the state. One Fellow also attended the International Conference for the Society of Human Ecology in Nevada, where she presented her dissertation proposal ideas. Talking with this group of scientists, the Fellow was able to gain an ecological perspective in research, education, and application that promotes activities that integrate topics in human ecology and human dominated ecosystems which will help her refine her research ideas. Since beginning their fellowship one year ago, the Fellows have disseminated their proposed dissertation topics to receive feedback through meetings organized with local land managers and stakeholders. In addition, one Fellow conducted and disseminated a Community Artisanal Wood Carving Market Feasibility Study to assess income generation opportunities for a local, community based NGO. PARTICIPANTS: From a large pool of highly qualified applicants, two Ph.D. Fellows (Erin Guth and Julia Rowe) were offered and accepted positions on this grant. To inform their dissertation work and to broaden their interdisciplinary understanding of science as it relates to conservation, natural resource management, and sustainability, fifteen to eighteen credits of coursework were completed by each Fellow in the first year. One Fellow has completed an ethics course, FSHN 697 - Research Ethics for Graduate Students through the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. This course provided the Fellow with an introduction to ethical theory, the philosophical frameworks for resolving ethical issues, an understanding of the breadth and depth of ethical issues involved in scientific research, and a review of misconduct and pitfalls frequently encountered in research, as well as guidance related to the protocols and acceptable codes of conduct for conducting ethical research. Both Fellows participated in a leadership workshop titled "Facultative Skills for Collaborative Leaders", held at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on October 14-15th, 2010. This workshop taught practical skills for designing and running a successful collaborative meeting as a facilitator. Through lecture, case studies, and simulated meetings, the Fellows received training in and a chance to practice valuable skills for facilitating meetings such as community meetings of stakeholder groups. Both Fellows received certificates of participation for attending the "Advanced Seminar on Climate, Energy and Food Security", held from September 17th, 2010 to January 22, 2011. The Fellows attended on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus, but it was a multi-institutional collaboration of the Asian Pacific Initiative, which focused on issues pertaining to global food and energy sector sustainability. Creighton Litton and Chris Lepczyk are the primary advisors to the two Fellows discussed above. They have spent the most time working with the Fellows, having conducted directed research courses with both Fellows for one semester. They also attended weekly discussion meetings with the 2 Fellows along with the other two PIs, Catherine Chan-Halbrendt and Carl Evensen which were held to help direct and inform the development of the Fellows' research projects. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

IMPACT: 2010/08/15 TO 2011/08/14
The knowledge base and skill set of the Fellows was improved in the following ways: 1) Through monthly mentorship meetings provided by the PDs, attendance in leadership trainings, as well as the diverse learning opportunities offered by the Fellows' conference and course participation, the Fellows confidence has grown, their leadership capacity improved, and their ability to engage in a variety of academic and professional discussions improved. Furthermore, their ability to critically analyze and plan their research activities has been advanced because of a growing skill set arising from the academic and professional experiences they have been exposed to. As a result, the Fellows are better prepared to conduct themselves and their research in a more effective and professional manner. 2) By participating in the discussions and exercises of the "facilitative skills for collaborative leaders" workshop, the Fellows learned how to design, prepare for and conduct meetings. They also learned facilitative practices, tools, and interventions to gather information and effectively communicate in public forums. 3) The Fellows successfully completed 15 and 18 course credits, each with a 4.0 GPA. This coursework contributed to building a foundational knowledge base that has helped inform the process of defining their dissertation research topics and approach during weekly discussions with PDs, as well as in meetings with other potential stakeholders and experts. 4) The Fellow's weekly meetings and directed research with PDs included group discussions of current literature in interdisciplinary and sustainability science. Through this process, the Fellows gained an understanding of various interdisciplinary conceptual frameworks and practiced tailoring these to the design of their own dissertation research topics. As a result, the Fellows' proposed research topics have now been through numerous permutations, steadily improving from being focused on purely ecological issues to being more broadly applicable to sustainability and interdisciplinary science. 5) Attendance and presentation of posters at scientific conferences provided the Fellows experience in networking with other professionals in similar fields of research, exposed them to new topics and different approaches to research issues, as well as helped teach them valuable skills in public speaking and presenting.6) As a result of weekly discussions with PDs, Fellows gained an understanding of: a) How to tailor their fellowship and educational experiences to develop their professional skill set to pursue desired professional goals. b) How to present papers at scientific conferences. c) How to communicate effectively with other local professionals and stakeholders, design meeting agendas, and take and report on meeting minutes. d) How to write a successful small grant proposal, which resulted in one Fellow successfully securing travel funding from the University of Hawaii at Manoa Graduate Student Organization to attend an international conference, and the successful submission of a scholarship application to attend the annual meeting of the Society of American Foresters by the other Fellow.

PUBLICATIONS: 2010/08/15 TO 2011/08/14
No publications reported this period