Cusack Daniela F.

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Cusack
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Daniela F.
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  • Preprint
    Consequence of altered nitrogen cycles in the coupled human and ecological system under changing climate: the need for long-term and site-based research.
    ( 2014-07) Shibata, Hideaki ; Branquinho, Cristina ; McDowell, William H. ; Mitchell, Myron J. ; Monteith, Don T. ; Tang, Jianwu ; Arvola, Lauri ; Cruz, Cristina ; Cusack, Daniela F. ; Halada, Lubos ; Kopacek, Jiri ; Maguas, Cristina ; Sajidu, Samson ; Schubert, Hendrik ; Tokuchi, Naoko ; Zahora, Jaroslav
    Anthropogenically derived nitrogen (N) has a central role in global environmental changes, including climate change, biodiversity loss, air pollution, greenhouse gas emission, water pollution, as well as food production and human health. Current understanding of the biogeochemical processes that govern the N cycle in coupled human–ecological systems around the globe is drawn largely from the long-term ecological monitoring and experimental studies. Here, we review spatial and temporal patterns and trends in reactive N emissions, and the interactions between N and other important elements that dictate their delivery from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems, and the impacts of N on biodiversity and human society. Integrated international and long-term collaborative studies covering research gaps will reduce uncertainties and promote further understanding of the nitrogen cycle in various ecosystems.
  • Article
    An interdisciplinary assessment of climate engineering strategies
    (Ecological Society of America, 2014-06) Cusack, Daniela F. ; Axsen, Jonn ; Shwom, Rachael ; Hartzell-Nichols, Lauren ; White, Sam ; Mackey, Katherine R. M.
    Mitigating further anthropogenic changes to the global climate will require reducing greenhouse-gas emissions (“abatement”), or else removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and/or diminishing solar input (“climate engineering”). Here, we develop and apply criteria to measure technical, economic, ecological, institutional, and ethical dimensions of, and public acceptance for, climate engineering strategies; provide a relative rating for each dimension; and offer a new interdisciplinary framework for comparing abatement and climate engineering options. While abatement remains the most desirable policy, certain climate engineering strategies, including forest and soil management for carbon sequestration, merit broad-scale application. Other proposed strategies, such as biochar production and geological carbon capture and storage, are rated somewhat lower, but deserve further research and development. Iron fertilization of the oceans and solar radiation management, although cost-effective, received the lowest ratings on most criteria. We conclude that although abatement should remain the central climate-change response, some low-risk, cost-effective climate engineering approaches should be applied as complements. The framework presented here aims to guide and prioritize further research and analysis, leading to improvements in climate engineering strategies.