Mark W. Neff

35 years and 160,000 articles: A bibliometric exploration of the evolution of ecology

We utilize the bibliometric tool of co-word analysis to identify trends in the methods and subjects of ecology during the period 1970–2005. Few previous co-word analyses have attempted to analyze fields as large as ecology. We utilize a method of isolating concepts and methods in large datasets that undergo the most significant upward and downward trends. Our analysis identifies policy-relevant trends in the field of ecology, a discipline that helps to identify and frame many contemporary policy problems. The results provide a new foundation for exploring the relations among public policies, technological change, and the evolution of science priorities.

Expression of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) in erythrogenic bone marrow does not correct hyperphenylalaninemia in Pahenu2 mice

Treatment of many inherited liver enzyme deficiencies requires the removal of toxic intermediate metabolites from the blood of affected individuals. We propose that circulating toxins can be adequately cleared and disease phenotype influenced by enzyme expressed in tissues other than the liver, such as bone marrow. Our specific hypothesis was that phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) expressed in bone marrow would lower blood phenylalanine levels in hyperphenylalaninemic Pahenu2 mice, a model of human phenylketonuria (PKU).

Scenario Planning for Wildlife Management: A Case Study of the National Elk Refuge, Jackson, Wyoming

Since the 1980s, scenario planning has increasingly been used in business and military settings to integrate an appreciation of uncertainty about the future into planning processes. There is a growing precedent to use it in ecological management decision making. Although well suited for the purpose, the technique has not been adequately applied to wildlife management. This article presents a case study of a wildlife management dilemma at the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming, as an example of a situation in which stakeholder disputes make management changes difficult to enact. Building from that example, this article lays out a theoretical justification for the use of narrative scenarios as a tool for engaging diverse stakeholders in disputes over social–ecological system management. The storylines created in the process serve as malleable and negotiable objects, helping to build common understanding of longer-term system dynamics, uncertainties, and management goals among stakeholders.