Monday, January 27, 2014

Lab No. 2 - Comparison between scientific and popular articles




A)  COMPARISON OF TWO PAIR ARTICLES (SCIENTIFIC AND POPULAR)

1.    Comparison between articles “A” & “B”.
The popular article (“B”) does not address everything what was wrote on the scientific one (“A”), because the scientific article talks about very specific research information on how rural out-migration in Mexico had affected the deforestation levels, agricultural intensification, and deforestation in the Neotropics (such as Mexico), it also gives a message (which I totally agree) that with social and government support, proper human development strategies involving the active participation or rural people Mexico’s society can face and reduce the deforestation levels. On the other side, the popular article pointed out what are the main factors of deforestation worldwide. However, both articles have something very important in common: Deforestation expansion as a negative cause of deforestation in many countries (Mexico as one them), mainly because of non-sustainable agriculture practices, and extensive use of grasslands for livestock.

2.    Comparison between articles “C” & “D”.
The popular article (“D”) address very accurately the science article (“C”) about the oil spill happened in April, 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. The popular article summarized and clearly explained the data on the scientific article: This was a tremendous oil spill (notice that nearly 5 million barrels (210 million gallons) of oil spewed), “the oil spill and plume covered nearly 360 square miles, about the size of Dallas, Texas”- according to the research article. The task that the first researches had was to investigate what were the results/impact that this event caused on the deep-sea ecosystem and the natural resources around the area. Even though part of “the oil was removed by cleanup operations and other natural mechanisms it is estimated that 35% of hydrocarbons from the oil were trapped” in the surface and deep sea and devastating the biodiversity of the Gulf of Mexico. Sadly, the recovery rates in the deep sea are likely to be slow, on the order of decades or longer.


B) SCIENCE ARTICLE ANALYSIS (ARTICLE “A”)

What this a controlled experiment? Yes.
What was the control?
Tables and graphs that provided analysis of deforestation rates in relationship to percentage of population.
What were the hypotheses of the experiment?
One of the theories the article showed was that the agriculture’s out-migration from Mexico caused the abandonment of agricultural production which in turn, became one of the main causes of recovery of forested areas.
Did the data support the hypothesis (hypotheses)?
NO, according to the research that the authors did, people migrating to the U.S. is a response to rural and urban unemployment, and once they save enough money they invest in livestock and sell their grasslands to bigger farmers that keep expanding agriculture (without applying sustainability). As mentioned on this article: “Expansion of agriculture is the largest driver of deforestation in underdeveloped tropical countries”, such as Mexico.
Were the methods repeatable?
Yes, the data provided by the tables on the article were obtained from 10 to 15 case studies (some of them went from 1986 to 2000) analyzed by Galvan and colleagues (2009).
Was there adequate replication?
Yes, on page 869 was showed a brief description of two cases derived from their own field research, in which neoliberal policies propelled significant land-use change by inducing international migration and discouraging or outcompeting small-farmer maize production.
Was there a founding source to that may be a conflict of interest?
This research project was funded by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (projects 51253 and 45636) and by the University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States program (2008-2009).




REFERENCES 

1.      SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE “A”
§  Author(s): Luis García-Barrios, Yankuic M. Galván-Miyoshi, Ingrid Abril Valdivieso-Pérez, Omar R. Masera, Gerardo Bocco, and John Vandermeer
§  Source or Journal name:  Bioscience, by American Institute of Biological Science
§  Volume/ Issue: Vol. 59 No. 10
§  Date: Nov, 2009.                                             Pages: 863-873
§  Keywords: forest transition, Mexico, development and conservation, out-migration, agricultural intensification

2.      POPULAR ARTICLE “B”
§  Author(s) or Byline(s): Debjani
§  Source or Journal Title: Preserve Articles
§  Date: Feb. 16, 2012

3.      SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE “C”
§  Author(s): Montagna, Paul A.; Baguley, Jeffrey G.; Cooksey, Cynthia; Hartwell, Ian; Hyde, Larry J.; Hyland, Jeffrey L.; Kalke, Richard D.; Kracker, Laura M.; Reuscher, Michael; Rhodes, Adelaide C. E.
§  Source or Journal name:  “PlosOne” - a public library of science
§  Volume/ Issue: Vol. 8 Issue 8
§  Date: Aug, 2013.                                             Pages: 1-8
§  Keywords: Deepwater horizon explosion & oil spill, oceanography, marine biology, biogeochemistry, environmental sciences


4.      POPULAR ARTICLE “D”
§  Author(s) or Byline(s): James A. Foley
§  Source or Journal Title: Nature World News
§  Date: Sept. 25, 2013

1 comment:

  1. Good job Citlali,
    Your grade is 4/4. Keep up the great work.
    Regards,
    Shadia

    ReplyDelete