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Research Maps Out Trade-offs Between Deer and Timber

By Guest PostMay 12, 2011Environmentchopping down trees, colorado state university, deer and timber, deer buffet, leverhulme early career fellow at king's college, london, megan matonis, michigan department of natural resources, michigan state university, michigan’s upper peninsula, northern hardwood forest, rain-drenched harvest gaps, study in forest ecology and management, sugar maples, u.s. department of agriculture

EAST LANSING, Mich. — In a sweeping study of a huge swath of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Michigan State University researchers document that in many places the sugar maple saplings that should be thriving following harvesting are instead ending up as a deer buffet. This means the hardwood forests are not regenerating.

Since the 1950s, sustainability in northern hardwood forests was achieved by chopping down trees in small clumps to naturally make room for new ones to spring up. Early experiments with single-tree and group selection logging found that desirable species like sugar maples did a great job of regenerating in the sunny, rain-drenched harvest gaps – theoretically eliminating the need to replant. (more…)

Democrats and Republicans Increasingly Divided Over Global Warming

By Guest PostApril 21, 2011Environment, Politicsaaron m. mccright, democrats and republicans, depressing trend, gallup survey, global warming, michigan state university, political spectrum, scientific consensus

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Despite the growing scientific consensus that global warming is real, Americans have become increasingly polarized on the environmental issue, according to a first-of-its-kind study led by a Michigan State University researcher.

The gap between Democrats and Republicans who believe global warming is happening increased 30 percent between 2001 and 2010 – a “depressing” trend that’s essentially keeping meaningful national energy policies from being considered, argues sociologist Aaron M. McCright. (more…)

Social Network Games Even Help Grown-ups With Their Relationships

By Guest PostFebruary 25, 2011Culture, Technologyadults, clifford lampe, Facebook, facebook users, farmville, michigan state university, nicole ellison, playing games, relationship management strategies, relationships, rick wash, social game, social network games, social network sites, yvette wohn

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Think social network games are just for kids? A recent Michigan State University study found that many adults are playing games such as Facebook’s “Farmville” to help initiate, develop and maintain relationships.

The MSU team of researchers interviewed a number of Facebook users between the ages of 25 and 55, said Yvette Wohn, a doctoral student in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media who led the study.

“The interesting thing is that we were asking people how they use Facebook to manage their different relationships,” she said. “Surprisingly, all but one person talked about playing games as one of their relationship-management strategies.” (more…)

Climate Change Affecting Food Safety

By Guest PostFebruary 22, 2011Entertainmentaaas fellow, animal products and crops, climate change, ewen todd, food safety, michigan state university, mycotoxins problem, safety of the world’s food supply, symposium, warm ocean water

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Climate change is already having an effect on the safety of the world’s food supplies and unless action is taken it’s only going to get worse, a Michigan State University professor told a symposium at this year’s meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Ewen Todd, an MSU professor of advertising, public relations and retailing, organized a session titled “How Climate Change Affects the Safety of the World’s Food Supply” at which several nationally known experts warned that food safety is already an issue and will worsen unless climate change is confronted. (more…)

College Students Lack Scientific Literacy, Study Finds

By Guest PostJanuary 9, 20111 commentEducation, Sciencebiological principles, bioscience, carbon sequestration, charles andy anderson, climate change, college students, environmental problem, fundamental scientific, global climate change, introductory biology, laurel hartley, michigan state university, scientific basis, scientific carbon cycle, teaching the fundamentals, university of colorado, vice-versa

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Most college students in the United States do not grasp the scientific basis of the carbon cycle – an essential skill in understanding the causes and consequences of climate change, according to research published in the January issue of BioScience.

The study, whose authors include several current and former researchers from Michigan State University, calls for a new way of teaching – and, ultimately, comprehending – fundamental scientific principles such as the conservation of matter. (more…)

YouTube PSAs: Comments More Persuasive Than Videos

By Guest PostNovember 19, 20101 commentCulture, Technologyanti-marijuana, anti-marijuana psas, attitudes about marijuana, james anthony, joseph walther, marijuana, michigan state university, perceptions, psas, video quality, videos, YouTube

Professor Joseph Walther led an MSU research project that found that comments accompanying YouTube public service announcements were more persuasive to viewers than the videos themselves. Image credit: Michigan State University

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University researchers, studying public service announcements placed on YouTube about marijuana use, have found that the comments accompanying the PSAs are more influential among viewers than the videos themselves.

The researchers showed four anti-marijuana PSAs, and the accompanying comments, to college students and asked for their evaluations of the PSAs and their attitudes about marijuana.

What was found was that negative, derisive comments about the video led the students to perceive the video as worse than when the comments were positive, even though they watched the videos individually. And when students identified with the anonymous commenters, the comments affected their perceptions of marijuana’s harmful effects.

“Generally, the comments changed people’s attitudes more than the variations of the videos,” said Joseph Walther, a professor in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media, and the Department of Communication, who led the research. (more…)

Latino Voters Expected to Influence Nov. 2 Election

By Guest PostNovember 1, 2010Culture, Politicsdemocratic candidates, democratic party, julian samora research institute, latinos, michigan state university, msu, non-latino voters, republicans, rubén martinez

Ruben Martinez is director of MSU's Julian Samora Research Institute. Image credit: Michigan State University

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Latinos still tend to favor Democratic candidates, although Latinos who identify themselves as Republicans are more likely to vote in the Nov. 2 midterm elections, a Michigan State University scholar says.

According to the 2010 National Survey of Latinos, 44 percent of Latino Republicans said they had given the election a lot of thought, compared to 28 percent of Latino Democrats.

“While Latinos in general are much more likely to support the Democratic Party, when it comes down to it, Latino Republicans may be more likely to show up at the polls on Tuesday,” said Rubén Martinez, director of MSU’s Julian Samora Research Institute.

According to the national survey data, Latinos generally favor Democrats, with nearly 66 percent of Latino registered voters saying they plan to support the Democratic candidate in their congressional district. In contrast, only 22 percent said they plan to support the Republican candidate in their district. (more…)

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