User:Octobercosmos/Choose an Article

Option 1
Williams, M. (2022). When the Sahara was green: How our greatest desert came to be. Princeton University Press.
 * Article title
 * Desert Greening:
 * Article Evaluation
 * The content of the article is relevant to the topic. The lead starts off with defining the term by using applicable technical terms, which while making it very concise and focused it also overcomplicates the beginning of the article. Some of the content of the article is either irrelevant or provided without the relevant context causing confusion and consequently detracts from the main topic. In addition, the organization of the various subtopics is done very poorly, providing bullet pointed lists where descriptive context is necessary. Application of the process of desert greening in various locations is provided in the article under the 'Examples' which is done fairly well, but overall seems disproportionate when earlier in the article insufficient background information is provided. Images are included, however more visual aids and graphical representations will certainly improve the quality of the article. The references provided have working links, but are limited in number and seem to be more applicable to the examples section while having only a few that provide background information.
 * Class: C
 * Completeness Score: 48
 * Average Views per Day: 115
 * Sources
 * Rose, S. (2021, March 20). “our biggest challenge? lack of imagination”: The scientists turning the Desert Green . The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/20/our-biggest-challenge-lack-of-imagination-the-scientists-turning-the-desert-green
 * Sources
 * Rose, S. (2021, March 20). “our biggest challenge? lack of imagination”: The scientists turning the Desert Green . The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/20/our-biggest-challenge-lack-of-imagination-the-scientists-turning-the-desert-green

Option 2
Hemp, A. (2005). Continuum or zonation? altitudinal gradients in the forest vegetation of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Plant Ecology, 184(1), 27–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-005-9049-4
 * Article title
 * Altitudinal Zonation:
 * Article Evaluation
 * The content of the article is well thought out and focused on the topic. There is minimal irrelevant information, and concepts are well organized and provide details that enhance the overall understanding of the topic. However, there are certain subsections that are overlooked or left out altogether, like the section regarding animal zonation seems very brief and could be further expanded and would benefit from examples of well documented altitudinal zonation that focuses on changing animal diversity. Also, there is no mention of plant zonation anywhere in the article, there is mention of various elevation levels followed by a paragraph on treeline which is followed by the subsection dealing with animal zonation. The article includes a section on land use and planning which further subdivides into agricultural practices, which makes the exclusion of the plant zonation as a relevant subtopic seem like an oversight. The images that are included provide helpful visual representations of concepts that are being discussed and the references provided are well sourced and balanced.
 * Class: B
 * Completeness Score: 71
 * Average Views per Day: 37
 * Sources
 * Bradley, R. S. (2015). Altitudinal zonation . Altitudinal Zonation - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/altitudinal-zonation
 * Ayako Shimono, Huakun Zhou, Haihua Shen, Mitsuru Hirota, Toshiyuki Ohtsuka, Yanhong Tang, Patterns of plant diversity at high altitudes on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Journal of Plant Ecology, Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2010, Pages 1–7, https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtq002
 * Ayako Shimono, Huakun Zhou, Haihua Shen, Mitsuru Hirota, Toshiyuki Ohtsuka, Yanhong Tang, Patterns of plant diversity at high altitudes on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Journal of Plant Ecology, Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2010, Pages 1–7, https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtq002

Option 3
Bellotto, M. (2023, April 6). Eileen Fisher’s regenerative wool: Restoring Patagonia’s grasslands with sheep. Lampoon Magazine. https://lampoonmagazine.com/article/2021/07/23/regenerative-wool-patagonia-eileen-fisher/
 * Article title
 * Patagonian Grasslands
 * Article Evaluation
 * The content of the article is relevant and provides a very broad overview in its entirety. It provides general surface level information and divides itself into 5 subsections that are: location, physical, ecology, status and conservation. The article needs more in-depth information in nearly all the sections and would benefit from them either being consolidated or further broken down into other subsections. For instance the information under the location and the physical portion would be better presented under one section rather than two separate sections that provide information regarding the characteristics of Patagonian grasslands. The section regarding ecology and its subdivision into flora and fauna needs to be expanded while providing more updated information. The images in the article provide important visual representations whether that's a map showing geographic location of this biome or an animal that inhabits it. The sources cited are all working, but are limited in quantity and need to be updated with the most recent being something that was written more than 6 years ago.
 * Class: C
 * Completeness Score: 62
 * Average Views per Day: 16
 * Sources
 * Paruelo, José María, and Estebán G Jobbágy, 'The Grasslands and Steppes of Patagonia and the Río de la Plata Plains', The Physical Geography of South America (New York, 2007; online edn, Oxford Academic, 12 Nov. 2020), https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195313413.003.0022, accessed 21 Sept. 2023.
 * Sources
 * Paruelo, José María, and Estebán G Jobbágy, 'The Grasslands and Steppes of Patagonia and the Río de la Plata Plains', The Physical Geography of South America (New York, 2007; online edn, Oxford Academic, 12 Nov. 2020), https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195313413.003.0022, accessed 21 Sept. 2023.