Selena Ahmed
Biographic Data
| ID | 3583331 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Selena Ahmed |
| GIVEN NAMES | Selena |
| FAMILY NAME | Ahmed |
| SIGNATURE | AHMED S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Montana State University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5779-0697 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 28 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 73 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 28 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Agricultural and environmental drivers of variation in the composition of food crops
Societal Impact Statement Agricultural management and environmental conditions influence the biochemical composition of food crops; however, the specific drivers of this variation remain insufficiently understood, despite their importance for climate change adaptation and human health. This review synthesizes evidence on upstream agricultural and environmental drivers of food crop composition and analyzes subdrivers identified in the literature. …
The Food Environment Perceptions Survey
Objective: The objective of this study was to develop, implement and refine a food environment survey to capture people’s perceptions of their food environments in low-and middle-income countries: the Food Environment Perceptions Survey (FEPS). Design: Identifying aspects of food environment to include drawing from existing survey instruments, a Delphi survey with food environment experts working globally, workshops with local experts in India an…
Symbolism, Use, and Knowledge of Birds in Tibetan Communities of China
Birds are valued in the traditional cultures of Tibetan areas of China for symbolism, spirituality, and medicine. A total of 329 informants from six Tibetan communities were interviewed through ethnobiological survey methods. Results highlight that Tibetan informants value a diversity of birds for multiple symbolic purposes including spirituality, a good harvest, happiness, fortune, beauty, glory, and omens. Over 20 avian species including eagles…
Preference for fruits and vegetables is linked to plate waste among preschool children
FV preference and plate waste are significantly and inversely correlated. The rapid assessment tool developed should be validated to be used in implementing strategies that increase child preferences and consumption of FV that support lifelong healthy eating behaviors
Food Environment Typology
The food environment is a critical place in the food system to implement interventions to support sustainable diets and address the global syndemic of obesity, undernutrition, and climate change, because it contains the total scope of options within which consumers make decisions about which foods to acquire and consume. In this paper, we build on existing definitions of the food environment, and provide an expanded definition that includes the p…
Intended and Unintended Consequences of a Community-Based Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Dietary Intervention on the Flathead Reservation of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Tribal communities in the United States face disparities to accessing healthy foods including high-quality produce. A six-week fresh fruit and vegetable (FV) dietary intervention, Eat Fresh, was co-designed with a Community Advisory Board of local food and nutrition stakeholders on the Flathead Reservation of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana. Eat Fresh was implemented as a pilot study with low-income participants (n=19) enro…
Farmer and rancher perceptions of climate change and their relationships with mental health
The impacts of climate change are having negative consequences on agricultural communities in the United States and other regions of the world. More specifically, these impacts are expected to increase in both scale and complexity and will continue to pose challenges both in terms of agricultural production and capacity. The purpose of this study was to understand ranchers’ and farmers’ perceptions of climate change’s impact on their businesses a…
Perceptions of food environments and nutrition among residents of the Flathead Indian Reservation
Perceptions of the food environment were linked to strategies that could be targeted to improve dietary quality along a social-ecological model continuum. There is need for skill-based education that directly addresses the time and monetary constraints that were commonly experienced by residents. Coinciding food environment interventions to promote dietary quality that engage community members, store management, and government policy stakeholders…
Bamboos for weaving and relevant traditional knowledge in Sansui, Southwest China
Background Traditional bamboo weaving has been practiced for centuries in Sansui, a county dominated by the Miao people, in Guizhou province of Southwest China. Sansui bamboo weaving represents an intangible cultural heritage as defined by UNESCO, but, like many other traditional handicrafts in China, it has suffered a downfall in this period of rapid development. Sansui bamboo weaving is now experiencing a renaissance due to the joint efforts of…
Diversity, knowledge, and valuation of plants used as fermentation starters for traditional glutinous rice wine by Dong communities in Southeast Guizhou, China
BACKGROUND: Beverages prepared by fermenting plants have a long history of use for medicinal, social, and ritualistic purposes around the world. Socio-linguistic groups throughout China have traditionally used plants as fermentation starters (or koji) for brewing traditional rice wine. The objective of this study was to evaluate traditional knowledge, diversity, and values regarding plants used as starters for brewing glutinous rice wine in the D…
Aligning evidence generation and use across health, development, and environment
Although health, development, and environment challenges are interconnected, evidence remains fractured across sectors due to methodological and conceptual differences in research and practice. Aligned methods are needed to support Sustainable Development Goal advances and similar agendas. The Bridge Collaborative, an emergent research-practice collaboration, presents principles and recommendations that help harmonize methods for evidence generat…
Diversity and use of medicinal plants for soup making in traditional diets of the Hakka in West Fujian, China
Background Wild edible and medicinal plants were an important component of traditional diets and continue to contribute to food security, nutrition, and health in many communities globally. For example, the preparation and consumption of soup made of medicinal plants for promoting health and preventing disease are a key component of the traditional diets of the Hakka socio-linguistic group of China's West Fujian Province. As environmental and soc…
Grandmother and health care professional breastfeeding perspectives provide opportunities for health promotion in an American Indian community
Building student capacity to lead sustainability transitions in the food system through farm-based authentic research modules in sustainability sciences (FARMS)
Undergraduate courses provide valuable opportunities to train and empower students with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to advance society in more sustainable directions. This article emphasizes the value of bridging primary scientific research with undergraduate education through the presentation of an integrated experiential learning and primary research model called Farm-based Authentic Research Modules in Sustainability Sciences (FARMS)…
Quality of Vegetables Based on Total Phenolic Concentration Is Lower in More Rural Consumer Food Environments in a Rural American State
While daily consumption of fruits and vegetables (FVs) is widely recognized to be associated with supporting nutrition and health, disparities exist in consumer food environments regarding access to high-quality produce based on location. The purpose of this study was to evaluate FV quality using total phenolic (TP) scores (a phytochemical measure for health-promoting attributes, flavor, appearance, and shelf-life) in consumer food environments a…
Beyond yields
Climate change is impacting the sustainability of food systems through shifts in natural and human dimensions of agroecosystems that influence farmer livelihoods, consumer choices, and food security. This paper highlights the need for climate studies on specialty crops to focus not only on yields, but also on quality, as well as the ability of agroecological management to buffer climate effects on quality parameters. Crop quality refers to phyton…
Assessing foods offered in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) using the Healthy Eating Index 2010
Objective To assess the nutritional quality of food packages offered in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) using the Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010). Design Data were collected from the list of the food products provided by the US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Handbook 501 for FDPIR . Nutritional quality was measured through a cross-sectional analysis of five randomly selected food packages offered …
The food environment, its effects on dietary consumption, and potential for measurement within agriculture-nutrition interventions
The food environment in markets constrains and signals consumers what to purchase. It encompasses availability, affordability, convenience, and desirability of various foods. The effect of income on dietary consumption is always modified by the food environment. Many agricultural interventions aim to improve incomes, increase food availability and reduce food prices. Their effects on nutrition could be better understood if food environment measur…
Cultural Uses, Ecosystem Services, and Nutrient Profile of Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) in the Highlands of Western Yunnan, China
Ethnobotany of wild plants used for starting fermented beverages in Shui communities of southwest China
BACKGROUND: Shui communities of southwest China have an extensive history of using wild plants as starters (Xiaoqu) to prepare fermented beverages that serve important roles in interpersonal relationships and cultural events. While the practice of using wild plants as starters for the preparation of fermented beverages was once prevalent throughout China, this tradition has seen a decline nationally since the 1930s. The traditional technique of p…
Comparative homegarden medical ethnobotany of Naxi healers and farmers in Northwestern Yunnan, China
BackgroundHomegardens are ecologically and culturally important systems for cultivating medicinal plants for wellbeing by healers and farmers in Naxi communities of the Sino Himalayan region. The cultivation of medicinal plants in Naxi communities and associated ethnomedical knowledge base for maintaining and utilizing these resources is at risk with expanded commercialization of natural resources, development policies and rapid socio-economic ch…
Ethnobotany of dye plants in Dong communities of China
Background Dyes derived from plants have an extensive history of use for coloring food and clothing in Dong communities and other indigenous areas in the uplands of China. In addition to use as coloring agents, Dong communities have historically utilized dye plants for their value for enhancing the nutritive, medicinal and preservative properties of foods. However, the persistence of plant-derived dyes and associated cultural practices and tradit…
Ethnobotanical survey of cooling herbal drinks from southern China
Background Liáng chá ("cooling tea", "herbal tea" or "cool tisane" in Chinese) are herbal drinks widely produced in southern China and consumed by billions of people worldwide to prevent and treat internal heat as well as a range of associated health conditions. Globalization and renewed interest in botanical remedies has attracted growing attention in cooling herbal drinks by industry, scientists and consumers. However, there is a knowledge gap …
Tea Horse Road
One of the longest and most dramatic trade routes of the ancient world, the Tea Horse Road carried a crucial exchange for 13 centuries between China and Tibet. China needed war horses to protect its northern frontier and Tibet could supply them. When the Tibetans discovered tea in the 7th century, it became a staple of their diet, but its origins are in southwest China, and they had to trade for it. The result was a network of trails covering mor…
The Role of Montane Forests for Indigenous Dongba Papermaking in the Naxi Highlands of Northwest Yunnan, China
China's rapid economic development is influencing cultural practices and natural resource management in indigenous mountain communities throughout the country. Numerous studies have documented loss and change of cultural practices and environmental degradation in indigenous communities with the expansion of roads, markets, tourism, and other infrastructure development. The present study focuses on papermaking, a socioecological practice that bega…
Ethnobotany of wild plants used for starting fermented beverages in Shui communities of southwest China
BACKGROUND: Shui communities of southwest China have an extensive history of using wild plants as starters (Xiaoqu) to prepare fermented beverages that serve important roles in interpersonal relationships and cultural events. While the practice of using wild plants as starters for the preparation of fermented beverages was once prevalent throughout China, this tradition has seen a decline nationally since the 1930s. The traditional technique of p…
Ethnobotany of dye plants in Dong communities of China
Background Dyes derived from plants have an extensive history of use for coloring food and clothing in Dong communities and other indigenous areas in the uplands of China. In addition to use as coloring agents, Dong communities have historically utilized dye plants for their value for enhancing the nutritive, medicinal and preservative properties of foods. However, the persistence of plant-derived dyes and associated cultural practices and tradit…
Comparative homegarden medical ethnobotany of Naxi healers and farmers in Northwestern Yunnan, China
BackgroundHomegardens are ecologically and culturally important systems for cultivating medicinal plants for wellbeing by healers and farmers in Naxi communities of the Sino Himalayan region. The cultivation of medicinal plants in Naxi communities and associated ethnomedical knowledge base for maintaining and utilizing these resources is at risk with expanded commercialization of natural resources, development policies and rapid socio-economic ch…
Diversity and use of medicinal plants for soup making in traditional diets of the Hakka in West Fujian, China
Background Wild edible and medicinal plants were an important component of traditional diets and continue to contribute to food security, nutrition, and health in many communities globally. For example, the preparation and consumption of soup made of medicinal plants for promoting health and preventing disease are a key component of the traditional diets of the Hakka socio-linguistic group of China's West Fujian Province. As environmental and soc…
Ethnobotanical survey of cooling herbal drinks from southern China
Background Liáng chá ("cooling tea", "herbal tea" or "cool tisane" in Chinese) are herbal drinks widely produced in southern China and consumed by billions of people worldwide to prevent and treat internal heat as well as a range of associated health conditions. Globalization and renewed interest in botanical remedies has attracted growing attention in cooling herbal drinks by industry, scientists and consumers. However, there is a knowledge gap …
Increased Market Integration, Value, and Ecological Knowledge of Tea Agroforests in the Akha Highlands of Southwest China
Ahmed, S., J. R. Stepp, R. A. J. Toleno, and C. M. Peters. 2010. Increased market integration, value, and ecological knowledge of tea agro-forests in the Akha highlands of southwest China. Ecology and Society 15(4): 27. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-03728-150427
Bamboos for weaving and relevant traditional knowledge in Sansui, Southwest China
Background Traditional bamboo weaving has been practiced for centuries in Sansui, a county dominated by the Miao people, in Guizhou province of Southwest China. Sansui bamboo weaving represents an intangible cultural heritage as defined by UNESCO, but, like many other traditional handicrafts in China, it has suffered a downfall in this period of rapid development. Sansui bamboo weaving is now experiencing a renaissance due to the joint efforts of…
Symbolism, Use, and Knowledge of Birds in Tibetan Communities of China
Birds are valued in the traditional cultures of Tibetan areas of China for symbolism, spirituality, and medicine. A total of 329 informants from six Tibetan communities were interviewed through ethnobiological survey methods. Results highlight that Tibetan informants value a diversity of birds for multiple symbolic purposes including spirituality, a good harvest, happiness, fortune, beauty, glory, and omens. Over 20 avian species including eagles…
Grandmother and health care professional breastfeeding perspectives provide opportunities for health promotion in an American Indian community
Cultural Uses, Ecosystem Services, and Nutrient Profile of Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) in the Highlands of Western Yunnan, China
Why Musella lasiocarpa (Musaceae) is Used in Southwest China to Feed Pigs
Why Musella lasiocarpa (Musaceae) is Used in Southwest China to Feed Pigs
Pu-erh tea tasting in Yunnan, China
Increased Market Integration, Value, and Ecological Knowledge of Tea Agroforests in the Akha Highlands of Southwest China
Ahmed, S., J. R. Stepp, R. A. J. Toleno, and C. M. Peters. 2010. Increased market integration, value, and ecological knowledge of tea agro-forests in the Akha highlands of southwest China. Ecology and Society 15(4): 27. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-03728-150427
Tea Horse Road
One of the longest and most dramatic trade routes of the ancient world, the Tea Horse Road carried a crucial exchange for 13 centuries between China and Tibet. China needed war horses to protect its northern frontier and Tibet could supply them. When the Tibetans discovered tea in the 7th century, it became a staple of their diet, but its origins are in southwest China, and they had to trade for it. The result was a network of trails covering mor…
The Role of Montane Forests for Indigenous Dongba Papermaking in the Naxi Highlands of Northwest Yunnan, China
China's rapid economic development is influencing cultural practices and natural resource management in indigenous mountain communities throughout the country. Numerous studies have documented loss and change of cultural practices and environmental degradation in indigenous communities with the expansion of roads, markets, tourism, and other infrastructure development. The present study focuses on papermaking, a socioecological practice that bega…
Ethnobotanical survey of cooling herbal drinks from southern China
Background Liáng chá ("cooling tea", "herbal tea" or "cool tisane" in Chinese) are herbal drinks widely produced in southern China and consumed by billions of people worldwide to prevent and treat internal heat as well as a range of associated health conditions. Globalization and renewed interest in botanical remedies has attracted growing attention in cooling herbal drinks by industry, scientists and consumers. However, there is a knowledge gap …
Comparative homegarden medical ethnobotany of Naxi healers and farmers in Northwestern Yunnan, China
BackgroundHomegardens are ecologically and culturally important systems for cultivating medicinal plants for wellbeing by healers and farmers in Naxi communities of the Sino Himalayan region. The cultivation of medicinal plants in Naxi communities and associated ethnomedical knowledge base for maintaining and utilizing these resources is at risk with expanded commercialization of natural resources, development policies and rapid socio-economic ch…
Ethnobotany of dye plants in Dong communities of China
Background Dyes derived from plants have an extensive history of use for coloring food and clothing in Dong communities and other indigenous areas in the uplands of China. In addition to use as coloring agents, Dong communities have historically utilized dye plants for their value for enhancing the nutritive, medicinal and preservative properties of foods. However, the persistence of plant-derived dyes and associated cultural practices and tradit…
The food environment, its effects on dietary consumption, and potential for measurement within agriculture-nutrition interventions
The food environment in markets constrains and signals consumers what to purchase. It encompasses availability, affordability, convenience, and desirability of various foods. The effect of income on dietary consumption is always modified by the food environment. Many agricultural interventions aim to improve incomes, increase food availability and reduce food prices. Their effects on nutrition could be better understood if food environment measur…
Cultural Uses, Ecosystem Services, and Nutrient Profile of Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) in the Highlands of Western Yunnan, China
Ethnobotany of wild plants used for starting fermented beverages in Shui communities of southwest China
BACKGROUND: Shui communities of southwest China have an extensive history of using wild plants as starters (Xiaoqu) to prepare fermented beverages that serve important roles in interpersonal relationships and cultural events. While the practice of using wild plants as starters for the preparation of fermented beverages was once prevalent throughout China, this tradition has seen a decline nationally since the 1930s. The traditional technique of p…
Beyond yields
Climate change is impacting the sustainability of food systems through shifts in natural and human dimensions of agroecosystems that influence farmer livelihoods, consumer choices, and food security. This paper highlights the need for climate studies on specialty crops to focus not only on yields, but also on quality, as well as the ability of agroecological management to buffer climate effects on quality parameters. Crop quality refers to phyton…
Assessing foods offered in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) using the Healthy Eating Index 2010
Objective To assess the nutritional quality of food packages offered in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) using the Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010). Design Data were collected from the list of the food products provided by the US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Handbook 501 for FDPIR . Nutritional quality was measured through a cross-sectional analysis of five randomly selected food packages offered …
Building student capacity to lead sustainability transitions in the food system through farm-based authentic research modules in sustainability sciences (FARMS)
Undergraduate courses provide valuable opportunities to train and empower students with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to advance society in more sustainable directions. This article emphasizes the value of bridging primary scientific research with undergraduate education through the presentation of an integrated experiential learning and primary research model called Farm-based Authentic Research Modules in Sustainability Sciences (FARMS)…
Quality of Vegetables Based on Total Phenolic Concentration Is Lower in More Rural Consumer Food Environments in a Rural American State
While daily consumption of fruits and vegetables (FVs) is widely recognized to be associated with supporting nutrition and health, disparities exist in consumer food environments regarding access to high-quality produce based on location. The purpose of this study was to evaluate FV quality using total phenolic (TP) scores (a phytochemical measure for health-promoting attributes, flavor, appearance, and shelf-life) in consumer food environments a…
Grandmother and health care professional breastfeeding perspectives provide opportunities for health promotion in an American Indian community
Diversity, knowledge, and valuation of plants used as fermentation starters for traditional glutinous rice wine by Dong communities in Southeast Guizhou, China
BACKGROUND: Beverages prepared by fermenting plants have a long history of use for medicinal, social, and ritualistic purposes around the world. Socio-linguistic groups throughout China have traditionally used plants as fermentation starters (or koji) for brewing traditional rice wine. The objective of this study was to evaluate traditional knowledge, diversity, and values regarding plants used as starters for brewing glutinous rice wine in the D…
Aligning evidence generation and use across health, development, and environment
Although health, development, and environment challenges are interconnected, evidence remains fractured across sectors due to methodological and conceptual differences in research and practice. Aligned methods are needed to support Sustainable Development Goal advances and similar agendas. The Bridge Collaborative, an emergent research-practice collaboration, presents principles and recommendations that help harmonize methods for evidence generat…
Diversity and use of medicinal plants for soup making in traditional diets of the Hakka in West Fujian, China
Background Wild edible and medicinal plants were an important component of traditional diets and continue to contribute to food security, nutrition, and health in many communities globally. For example, the preparation and consumption of soup made of medicinal plants for promoting health and preventing disease are a key component of the traditional diets of the Hakka socio-linguistic group of China's West Fujian Province. As environmental and soc…
Food Environment Typology
The food environment is a critical place in the food system to implement interventions to support sustainable diets and address the global syndemic of obesity, undernutrition, and climate change, because it contains the total scope of options within which consumers make decisions about which foods to acquire and consume. In this paper, we build on existing definitions of the food environment, and provide an expanded definition that includes the p…
Intended and Unintended Consequences of a Community-Based Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Dietary Intervention on the Flathead Reservation of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Tribal communities in the United States face disparities to accessing healthy foods including high-quality produce. A six-week fresh fruit and vegetable (FV) dietary intervention, Eat Fresh, was co-designed with a Community Advisory Board of local food and nutrition stakeholders on the Flathead Reservation of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana. Eat Fresh was implemented as a pilot study with low-income participants (n=19) enro…
Farmer and rancher perceptions of climate change and their relationships with mental health
The impacts of climate change are having negative consequences on agricultural communities in the United States and other regions of the world. More specifically, these impacts are expected to increase in both scale and complexity and will continue to pose challenges both in terms of agricultural production and capacity. The purpose of this study was to understand ranchers’ and farmers’ perceptions of climate change’s impact on their businesses a…
Perceptions of food environments and nutrition among residents of the Flathead Indian Reservation
Perceptions of the food environment were linked to strategies that could be targeted to improve dietary quality along a social-ecological model continuum. There is need for skill-based education that directly addresses the time and monetary constraints that were commonly experienced by residents. Coinciding food environment interventions to promote dietary quality that engage community members, store management, and government policy stakeholders…
Bamboos for weaving and relevant traditional knowledge in Sansui, Southwest China
Background Traditional bamboo weaving has been practiced for centuries in Sansui, a county dominated by the Miao people, in Guizhou province of Southwest China. Sansui bamboo weaving represents an intangible cultural heritage as defined by UNESCO, but, like many other traditional handicrafts in China, it has suffered a downfall in this period of rapid development. Sansui bamboo weaving is now experiencing a renaissance due to the joint efforts of…
Preference for fruits and vegetables is linked to plate waste among preschool children
FV preference and plate waste are significantly and inversely correlated. The rapid assessment tool developed should be validated to be used in implementing strategies that increase child preferences and consumption of FV that support lifelong healthy eating behaviors
Geography (21 works) · Biology (17 works) · China (13 works) · Ecology (12 works) · Medicine (11 works) · Agroforestry (9 works) · Agriculture (8 works) · Business (8 works) · Archaeology (7 works) · Sociology (7 works)