Achievement

Our IGERT has already facilitated the research collaborations anticipated when developing the program. The Cache cadre has investigated ecological and socio-economic issues in the Cache River basin, identifying key ecological (e.g., fish & macroinvertebrate community trends, dissolved oxygen patterns) and socioeconomic factors (e.g., poverty, education levels,) and are now exploring relationships among them and developing management recommendation through development of a basin management plan for the region. This first cadre of students includes individuals with diverse areas of expertise, including freshwater ecology and conservation, environmental policy, economics, GIS, and civil and environmental engineering, and their research products thus far reflect strong collaboration among them. The main product of this effort, a management plan for the Cache basin, is well underway, and the group has various posters, presentations, and research publications pending and planned.