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Research Projects at Santa Fe
Evaluating the Effects of Human Factors on the Giant Panda Habitat
Fall 2014, Physical Geography
This framework describes the factors of human population, forest systems, wildlife habitat, and socioeconomic policies, as well as how these factors influence one another. It was applied to a case study involving the giant panda habitat of Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province, China. Wolong is the largest panda reserve in China with an area of approximately 500,000 acres, and home to about ten percent of the world panda population.
Food, Friend, or Pest: Diversity in the Cultural Significance of the Green Iguana
Fall 2013, Cultural Anthropology
The green iguana is a large reptile from Central and South America, also established as an invasive species in a number of other regions. The significance of the iguana and the role it plays within different cultures is shaped according to unique sociohistorical circumstances, customs, and values. In some areas of the world, the iguana is cared for as a treasured companion; in others, the animal may be found on a dinner plate. The type of interaction that occurs between iguanas and people largely depends on the cultural setting within which it is placed.
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