Category Archives: Agriculture

SCOPUS reviewed in Choice, January, 2015

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Scopus. Elsevier.http://www.elsevier.com/online-tools/scopus.

A very complimentary review by –J. N. Jeffryes, University of Minnesota

“Scopus’s nearest competitor is Web of Science http://thomsonreuters.com/thomson-reuters-web-of-science/ (CH, Jan’11, 48-2436), and the two tools remain somewhat complementary.  For post-1996 information, Scopus comes off as the more impressive of the two with its advanced citation analysis visualizations, wider inclusion of conference papers, and adoption of alternative impact metrics.  Because the citation counts and h index calculations go back only to 1996, Web of Science has the historical edge.  In the areas of interface design and record readability, Scopus is the stronger tool.  It provides an intuitive search format to explore an impressively broad base of research; if the depth of coverage were expanded (or as 1996 becomes more distant), this tool would become even more valuable.  Even as it is today, it is a very valuable resource for academic and professional libraries. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above”

The complete review is here:  http://www.cro3.org/content/52/05/52-2504.full

 

 

Global Forest Watch — Internet Resource

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http://www.globalforestwatch.org/(reviewed in CHOICE November 2014).

[Visited Aug’14] Global Forest Watch (GFW), currently in beta phase, is a dazzling, open data website that aims to monitor deforestation worldwide. With partners like Google, the Jane Goodall Institute, and UNEP (among many others) and “convened by the World Resources Institute,” GFW will impress visitors with its beauty and obvious value. In order to provide “near-real-time” access to information like logging practices, GFW uses satellite images and provides a hub for local communities to upload photos and report illegal deforestation by use of smartphones and GPS mapping. The goal is to track these events as they happen, instead of months or even years later. Unfortunately, it is not possible for all the maps to be updated instantly. Users must agree to a lengthy terms of service agreement before entering the site, ensuring that they understand the limitations of the data presented.

Technology-adept users will find GFW extremely intuitive. Users begin with a 2-D map featuring multiple overlays; displays can be selected from sections such as Forest Change, Forest Cover, Forest Use, and Conservation. Data can be limited by years, ranging from 2001 to 2013. The Countries section contains more in-depth information. The site also features stories about deforestation, a blog prepared by the GFW team, and an alert service. GFW is rightfully confident of its benefits, providing a detailed plan of how the site can be utilized. Significantly, GFW clearly identifies the sources of the information retrieved, supporters of the site, and funding sources. Brief tutorials and FAQs offer additional information. Nearly everyone can find a use for this site and the inestimable data within–whether as a teaching tool or as a primary source for research. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic, general, and professional library collections.”

–C. M. Woxland, Utah State University

Copyright 2014 American Library Association

eLIFE — a respected OA journal

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eLIFE

  • http://elifesciences.org“This highly thought of open access journal promises a speed and ease of publishing unheard of in most traditional life science journals. Initial decisions on a manuscript are usually made within days. Post-review decisions are made within weeks. Most articles only go through a single round of revisions. For the reader, this means that the results you’re reading are hot off the lab bench. Best of all, unlike most scientific journals, which can cost upwards of $20 for a single article, the 842 (and counting) articles on this site are completely free. The eLIFE podcast is also available for easy download, online listening, or subscription. [CNH]“
  • Source:  The Scout Report — Volume 20, Number 40 (HTML)  Univ. of Wisconsin, 10/17/2014

World Food Day

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8 Great Scientific Solutions to Feeding the World

Released: 14-Oct-2014 11:00 AM EDT 
Source Newsroom: Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

Newswise — CHICAGO—In honor of World Food Day on October 16, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is highlighting eight solutions for feeding the world from itsFutureFood 2050 website. They include articles featuring Kofi Annan, M.S. Swaminathan, Sylvia Earle and more. Feel free to re-publish or share these links as part of your World Food Day coverage.

1. Watch an interactive video infographic on food waste
2. Learn about food security in Africa 
3. Read this article on M.S. Swaminathan on sustainable agriculture
4. Listen to National Geographic Oceanographer Sylvia Earle share aquaculture solutions 
5. Learn how reinvestment in Africa creates a sustainable business model for the future 
6. Gain insights on the latest insights on meat alternatives 
7. Read an interview on creating greater abundance of crops to feed a booming population 
8. Learn about the important role of women in combating world hunger

U.S. Citizens — Free access to online NTIS reports, Oct. 2014

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NTIS is launching greater access to federally funded science & technology information and reports. Starting in October 2014, U.S. citizens will have free access to all electronically-available documents in the NTIS collection.

Currently there are more than 850,000 documents digitized for free public access. For the first time, Individuals will have the option to subscribe to the NTRL in order to benefit from the Premium features of the database, such as Digitization-on-Demand (NTRL Premium Individual). Premium Institutional subscribers (including corporations) will continue to have access to the more than 2.8 million records with a variety of enhanced features as listed in the chart below.

More at: http://www.ntis.gov/pdf/NTRNews7-3.pdf

National Technical Information Service (NTIS) connects to the database.

Princeton University Library has a subscription to NTRL reports,

(National Technical Reports Library)  and is a founding member…I think.

Drought Risk Atlas, the National Drought Mitigation Center

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“Drought Risk Atlas, from The National Drought Mitigation Center.
http://droughtatlas.unl.edu/

[Visited Jun’14] In 1994, the Army Corps of Engineers issued The National Drought Atlas, which is cataloged in only five libraries; it apparently never made it into the Federal Depository Library Program. A new online resource, the national Drought Risk Atlas, rectifies that oversight. The atlas has six sections: Home, Map Viewer, Data (viewer page), Methodology, About, and Help. Home provides introductory information about the atlas and explains the other sections. Map Viewer allows users to view drought status from 2000 to the present. The Data section allows users to select stations by name or interactively on a map and view data for that station over time. Many stations contain more than 100 years of data. Data can be displayed as a time series chart or table for a given decade. In addition, users can display data for each decade ranked from driest to wettest and warmest to coolest temperatures, along with ranked monthly precipitation and temperature records. The system also allows data retrieval for various indexes, including the Standardized Precipitation Index, Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index, Palmer Drought Severity Index, and Self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index.

There is a separate tabbed section for each index, which includes a description of the index and the option to select the period of interest. Data can be displayed as a time series chart, table, ranked table, or heat map plot, which shows whether a selected station was particularly wet or dry during the decade by color. Users can also download data for additional research. The Help section provides information on using the site. Many years ago, this type of weather data for selected locations was available in books published by Gale Research. This valuable site provides temperature and precipitation data and more for free. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All library collections.”

–L. R. Zellmer, Western Illinois University

Frontiers in Earth Science & Frontiers in Environmental Science

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Switzerland Frontiers launches new open-access journals – Frontiers in Earth Science and Frontiers in Environmental Science – 06 Nov 2013

“Open-access publisher Frontiers, part of the Nature Publishing Group family, has announced the launch of two new open-access journals – Frontiers in Earth Science and Frontiers in Environmental Science.

Manuscripts submitted to specialty sections in “Frontiers in” journals are peer reviewed by specialty associate and review editors. Specialty Chief Editors oversee subject areas across the ‘Frontiers in’ journals.

The initial specialty sections open for submissions to Frontiers in Earth Science are: Atmospheric Science, Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism, Hydrosphere, Interdisciplinary Climate Studies, Paleontology, Structural Geology and Tectonics, Quaternary Science, Geomorphology and Paleoenvironment and Structural Geology and Tectonics. Further specialty sections will be added soon.

Initially, Frontiers in Environmental Science will offer specialty sections in: Agroecology and Land Use Systems, Air Pollution, Atmospheric Science, Environmental Informatics, Environmental Toxicology, Green and Environmental Chemistry, Groundwater Resources and Management, Interdisciplinary Climate Studies, Microbiotechnology, Ecotoxicology and Bioremediation, Soil Processes, and Wastewater Management.

Frontiers publishes all articles under a Creative Commons Attribution license (CC-BY), which allows users to share, copy and distribute a work, while at the same time crediting the authors of the article.”

Click hereSource:  Knowledgespeak Newsletter

Earth Day videos — on Water & our Changing Planet

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Celebrate Earth Day with Changing Planet and Sustainability: Water

In preparation for Earth Day on April 22, explore NBC Learn’s Original Collections Changing Planet and Sustainability: Water. These earth science series, produced in partnership with the National Science Foundation, cover headline issues from the future of California’s water supply to how butterflies are adapting to warmer temperatures. Use these videos to engage and involve your students in the environmental issues in the news today.

Changing Planet             Sustainability: Water

K-12 | HigherEd               K-12 | HigherEd

Source:  NBC Learn April 2014 Newsletter

One can sign up for a free trial.