Lin also is a candidate for a coveted National Science Foundation grant. According to Lin, this is an effort to apply science to a local concern with global applications. Lin says his team of researchers will seek answers in four key areas. First, what are the direct and indirect ties between land use practices, such as agriculture, to the short and long term impacts for the watershed. Third, both nonpoint and point source pollution factors will be considered.
Point pollution is traceable directly to a source.
Nonpoint pollution can come from a variety of sources such as farms, sewers, drainage ditches and other less visible sites. Finally, Lin and his colleagues hope to quantify uncertainties involved in nitrate contamination within the watershed. There is no doubt that putting modern technology toward practical applications can and ought to be a model for use in many other priority watersheds in Wisconsin. A native of China, Lin joined the UWSP faculty in 1998. He holds a bachelor s degree from Fujian Agricultural University and a master s from The Chinese Academy of Sciences.