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S1385894720317873 | Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons like phenanthrene and pyrene are found ubiquitously in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems . This study has attempted to investigate mechanistic features of simultaneous degradation of phenanthrene and pyrene by the yeast | Co biodegradation of two PAHs phenanthrene and pyrene using yeast. Formulation of kinetic model for cell growth accounting for self and cross inhibition. Kinetic parameters revealed strong competitive cross inhibition between two substrates. Inhibition induced by pyrene on cell growth was higher than phenanthrene. Metabolic pathway initiated by dioxygenase enzymes leads to TCA cycle. |
S1385894720317885 | Bridging heteroatoms on the surface of electrocatalysts aiming to modify the surface atomic and electronic configuration is of prime importance to improve the electrocatalytic performance . The present work establishes Co P bridging on the surface of Co | P Co. with optimized OER performance were developed through Co P bridging. The electron transfer was manipulated by controlling the molar ratio of P Co. Co P bridging can facilitate the formation of abundant Co. and oxygen vacancies. Co P bridging can induce stronger electronic interactions in the catalysts. Co P bridging can improve the electrical conductivity of P Co |
S1385894720317897 | A flame retardant and superhydrophobic coating was deposited on cotton fabrics using a simple two step spraying method . In detailed the first step involved flame retardant layer consisted of alkylammonium functional silsesquioxane phytic acid complex while the second step generated superhydrophobic layer that was composed of hierarchical structured titanium | Flame retardant and superhydrophobic coatings were constructed on cotton fabrics by a facile two step method. The treated cotton showed super flame retardancy in terms of self extinguishing behavior. The peak heat release rate of the treated cotton was significantly reduced by 70 compared to pure cotton. The treated cotton exhibited fascinating anti fouling and water oil separation abilities. The coatings on cotton fabrics displayed good abrasion resistance and washing durability. |
S1385894720317915 | Bacteria associated infection blood coagulation inflammation tissue adhesion and weak surface lubrication are major issues challenging the biomedical application of silicone rubber based catheters . Here we report a new strategy to simultaneously address these issues by fabricating a simple zwitterionic active ester copolymer coating | Novel zwitterionic active ester block polymer coating. New strategy to confer multiple functions to silicone based biomaterials. Robust long term antibacterial ability with excellent antifouling ability. Significantly suppressed inflammation with good lubricating property. |
S1385894720317927 | In the work a novel molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor was proposed for sensitive and rapid detection of nitrofurazone . The sensor was modified with Cr | Biomass carbon Ag NPs and Cr MIL 101 derived Cr. were used to enhance conductivity. MOF derived metal oxides retain the MOF morphology. Bifunctional monomers were used to enhance the specificity of MIP for NFZ. Wide linear range of 510. 110. M were obtained along with low detection limit of 310. M. |
S1385894720317939 | The production of hydrogen from the photoreforming of methanol was essayed using an anatase based system having Pt nanoparticles and a Zr doped anatase high surface area support . The production of hydrogen was quantitatively analyzed using the quantum efficiency parameter under UV and visible illumination conditions . The study showed that a 2.5mol . of Zr renders an outstanding material for the fruitful use of sunlight as a green source of energy of the process . The outstanding promotion of activity orginated by Zr doping of the anatase structure was studied using in situ infrared photoluminescence and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies . The multitechnique spectroscopic investigation of the reaction mechanism demonstrates that this occurs through a complex reforming plus water gas shift path . The study also unveils that optoelectronic properties of the solids derived from Zr incorporation drive activity of the system by controlling light absorption and mainly charge carrier recombination and interaction with the reactant molecules . | Pt Zr TiO. tested under UV and Visible light hydrogen photo production. A 2.5mol. of Zr optimizes activity under all illumination conditions tested. Zr does not affect the mechanism of the reaction. Zr alters charge carrier recombination and hole related generation of OH radicals. Zr doping renders the up to date maximum quantum efficiency value. |
S1385894720317940 | Natural materials have enlightened us to assemble brittle building blocks into specific architectures with both high strength and toughness . As the main inorganic component of the bone and tooth hydroxyapatite materials have a high biocompatibility but usually have a high brittleness . It is still a big challenge to artificially prepare biomaterials with the combination of high strength and high toughness similar to natural materials constructed with brittle HAP building blocks . In this work considering that enamel and nacre are typical examples of natural biomaterials with high strength and high toughness respectively we combine the structural merits of both enamel and nacre to construct a new kind of highly ordered ultralong HAP nanowire fiberboard and mortar alignment hierarchical structure by the multiscale and multilevel assemblies of ultralong HAP nanowires from the nanoscale to microscale to macroscale and from one dimensional to 2 D to 3 D levels . The as prepared hierarchical HFMAS nanocomposite can achieve a confluence of strengthening and toughening mechanisms of enamel and nacre and exhibits superior mechanical properties such as high strength Young s modulus and toughness 4.77MPam | A biomimetic highly ordered hierarchical fiberboard and mortar nanocomposite is reported. Ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires form multiscale and multilevel highly ordered hierarchical structure. The as prepared nanocomposite exhibits superior mechanical properties such as high strength and high toughness. The as prepared nanocomposite has promising applications. |
S1386505619303491 | To achieve high performing emergency medical services planning is of vital importance . EMS planners face several challenges when managing ambulance stations and the fleet of ambulances . In this paper three strategic cases for EMS planners are presented together with potential solutions . In the first case the effects of closing down a local emergency room are analyzed together with how adding an ambulance station and an ambulance to the area affected by the closing of the ER can be used to mitigate the negative consequences from the closing . The second case investigates a change in the organization of EMS . Currently many non urgent transport assignments are performed by ambulances which make them unavailable for more urgent calls . The potential for a more effective utilization of the ambulances is explored through transferring these assignments to designated transport vehicles . The third case is more technical and challenges the common practice regarding how time dependent demand is handled . Looking at the busiest hour or the average daily demand is compared with taking time varying demand into account . The cases and solutions are studied using a recently developed strategic ambulance station location and ambulance allocation model for the Maximum Expected Performance Location Problem with Heterogeneous Regions . The model has been extended to also include multiple time periods . This article demonstrates an innovative use of the model and how it can be applied to find and evaluate solutions to real cases within the field of strategic planning of EMS . The model is found to be a useful decision support tool when analyzing the cases and the expected performance of potential solutions . | Three managerial cases of EMS are studied using a strategic ambulance station location and ambulance allocation model. The model and methodology can easily be applied to similar studies and different areas. Different techniques from operations research are combined to support decision making within EMS. |
S1386505619308366 | Clinicians write a billion free text notes per year . These notes are typically replete with errors of all types . No established automated method can extract data from this treasure trove . The practice of medicine therefore remains haphazard and chaotic resulting in vast economic waste . | We tested computer program based on the lexeme hypotheses. Notes generated by the system were more complete grammatical and organized. Notes were generated at a faster rate than traditional methods. The system prompted users to consider practice advisories in a timely fashion. Notes were completely computer readable. |
S1386505619309219 | The planning of hospital beds is among the most debated problems in healthcare . Despite being an important issue many initiatives have failed to sustain services improvements resulting in high costs and also high refusal rates . The stochastic problem involves conflicting criteria therefore we propose a Simulation Optimisation approach to solve it . The Evolutionary Algorithm NSGA II drives the process and the solutions are validated and evaluated via Discrete Event Simulation . An application is performed in one of the health regions of the state of Minas Gerais Brazil where the public health system assists nearly 80 of the patients . The results pointed out that the proposed approach could find efficient and feasible solutions for the problem . Therefore it is a good alternative to empirical methods currently used in Brazil to set hospital beds allocation . | A Simulation Optimisation technique is used to allocate hospital beds. Evolutionary Algorithms and Discrete Event Simulation are combined to solve a problem of hospital bed capacity. Use of Parallel Simulation to improve the performance of a Simulation Optimisation model applied in healthcare. An application of Simulation Optimisation is carried out in Brazil for hospital beds allocation. |
S1386505619309463 | Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a common chronic respiratory disease related to inflammation affected by harmful gas and particulate matter in the air . Mathematical prediction models between COPD and air pollutants are helpful for early identification individualized interventions to slow disease progression and for reduction of medical expenditures . The aim was to build a regression prediction model for the occurrence of COPD acute exacerbation . We collected hospital admissions for COPD in 20152018 from ten hospitals in Chongqing China used the increment per week as response and the local sulfur dioxide nitrogen dioxide carbon monoxide and particulate matter 2.5 concentrations as predictor variables to build a multiple prediction model . The Mean Absolute Percentage Error was used to evaluate the efficiency . We found that PM2.5 and SO2 are the most important factors contributing to the improvement of prediction accuracy . Multiple locally weighted linear regression Model based on integrated kernel framework with the K means algorithm demonstrated minimum prediction error of 9.03 . | We investigated the relationship between air pollution and the occurrence of COPD acute exacerbation. PM2.5 and SO2 are the most important factors contributing to improving the prediction accuracy of our model. Multiple locally weighted linear regression algorithm is used to build prediction model. Use of k means algorithm in data training can improve the prediction accuracy. The result demonstrated minimum prediction error through comparing with several regression models. |
S1386505620302070 | Wikipedia contains rich biomedical information that can support medical informatics studies and applications . Identifying the subset of medical articles of Wikipedia has many benefits such as facilitating medical knowledge extraction serving as a corpus for language modeling or simply making the size of data easy to work with . However due to the extremely low prevalence of medical articles in the entire Wikipedia articles identified by generic text classifiers would be bloated by irrelevant pages . To control the false discovery rate while maintaining a high recall we developed a mechanism that leverages the rich page elements and the connected nature of Wikipedia and uses a crawling classification strategy to achieve accurate classification . Structured assertional knowledge in Infoboxes and Wikidata items associated with the identified medical articles were also extracted . This automatic mechanism is aimed to run periodically to update the results and share them with the informatics community . | Crawling classification accurately identified medical articles from Wikipedia even the prevalence was as low as 1.5 . 93 420 articles on medicine were identified from the 2020 05 01 dump of Wikipedia and classified into 7 categories by semantic groups. The crawling classification strategy exhibited far superior performance to generic text classifiers in false discovery control. |
S1386505620302276 | This paper augments the technology acceptance model by empirically investigating the influence of behavioral traits and cognitive beliefs on patients behavioral intention to accept technology in healthcare service delivery . Despite increased emphasis on healthcare service delivery there has been limited studies as to how various behavioral constructs are related to adoption of new technology in healthcare sector . To this end and to develop meaningful insights a conceptual model integrating behavioral constructs with constructs related to technology acceptance model is devised . The aim here is essentially to understand relationships that predict patients acceptance of technology in healthcare services . The devised model is tested on responses obtained from survey of 416 patients availing healthcare service at various primary health centers in New Delhi India . Structural equation modeling is employed to conceptualize the model and validate nine hypotheses entailing key constructs . The results indicate that perceived usefulness perceived ease of use trust and privacy concern are direct predictors of patients behavior to accept technology in availing healthcare services . In summary this research provides an empirical contribution to the literature on effect of trust and privacy concerns on acceptance of technology in healthcare . | The research investigates the role of trust and privacy concerns by augmenting Technology Acceptance Model TAM . Structural equation model is employed to model the effects and influences and survey data from healthcare recipients in New Delhi India is utilized. The research provides an empirical contribution to the literature on effect of trust and privacy concerns on acceptance of technology in healthcare. |
S1386505620304056 | Accessing and receiving quality healthcare in an unfamiliar health system is a significant challenge for many new immigrants and refugees . This study aims to provide a three phase model to develop a web based health information website that helps populations with limited English proficiency increase health literacy and improve healthcare service access . Method First we conducted a needs assessment from community leaders and service providers . Second we developed contents from credible sources and tested each item using multiple readability tests . Last we revised each item to lower the readability and retest its readability . Results The average reading level for the original 99 topics was assessed at 10.84 . After revisions we were able to lower the readability to 8.56 which was around two grade levels lower on average . Conclusion the main purpose for building an English based health information website was to assist the population with LEP . By using simple English with lower readability it will ease the translation process . This study demonstrates a process to develop suitable contents for populations in need . In the future incorporating visual aid and other multimedia will be beneficial in user engagement and knowledge retention . | Readability tests can be a useful tool for revising health information to increase readability. Online health information should be simplified and tailored to the needs of those with LEP. Basic health information should be written in simple English before being translated into other languages. |
S138650562030407X | In the last years multidisciplinary post discharge treatment programs such as telemonitoring have been promoted as a strategy for Heart Failure management . However the distinctive requirements that a telemonitoring system should have have not been clearly identified . To this aim the most relevant requirements for telemonitoring of HF patients are derived from evidence based Clinical Practice Guidelines for HF management . The main objective of this work is to present a prototype of a telemonitoring system for HF patients named SiTe iC that has been developed based on the identified requirements highlighting its design and evaluation . | A telemonitoring system SiTe iC based on Clinical Practice Guidelines for Heart Failure management. The SiTe iC system is efficient to follow up heart failure patients. The SiTe iC system improves self care patients. The SiTe iC system has the potential to prevent rehospitalizations. |
S1386505620304883 | Electronic cigarettes usage has surged substantially across the globe particularly among adolescents and young adults . The ever increasing prevalence of social media makes it highly convenient to access and engage with content on numerous substances including e cigarettes . A comprehensive dataset of 560 414 image posts with a mention of vaping was retrieved by using the Instagram application programming interface . Deep neural networks were used to extract image features on which unsupervised machine learning methods were leveraged to cluster and subsequently categorize the images . Descriptive analysis of associated metadata was further conducted to assess the influence of different entities and the use of hashtags within different categories . Seven distinct categories of vaping related images were identified . A majority of the images depicted e liquids followed by e cigarettes . Around one tenth of the dataset consisted of photos with person . Considering the number of likes and comments images portraying person gained the highest engagement . In almost every category business accounts shared more posts on average compared to the individual accounts . The findings illustrate the high degree of e cigarettes promotion on a social platform prevalent among youth . Regulatory authorities should enforce policies to restrict product promotion in youth targeted social media as well as require measures to prevent underage users access to this content . Furthermore a stronger presence of anti tobacco portrayals on Instagram by public health agencies and anti tobacco campaigners is needed . | Prevalence of photos in online spaces make them highly engaging. Large scale analysis of substance use images remain limited so far. We use machine learning methods to study Vaping images on Instagram. Most of the images depicted e liquids e cigarettes or vaporizers and selfies. Instagram is widely used to promote vaping products to the youth. |
S1438422119302449 | Bacterial outer membrane vesicles play a vital role in the mechanism of hostpathogen communication while emerging evidence suggests that OMVs regulate host immune responses through differentially packaged small noncoding RNAs to target host mRNA function . Therefore we identified differentially packaged sncRNAs in | Differentially sncRNAs were packaged in. OMVs. sR 2509025 and sR 989262 reduced LPS or OMV induced IL 8 secretion in AGS cells. OMVs sncRNAs play a novel role in the hostpathogen interaction of that. evades the host immune response. |
S1438422120300023 | During the last decades the flourishing scientific field of molecular pathogenesis brought groundbreaking knowledge of the mechanisms of pathogenicity and the underlying bacterial virulence factors to cause infectious diseases . However a major paradigm shift is currently occurring after it became increasingly evident that bacterial host and host host cell interactions including immune responses orchestrated by defined virulence factors are not the sole drivers of infectious disease development . Strong evidence has been collected that information and nutrient flow within complex microbial communities as well as to and from host cells and matrices are equally important for successful infection . This particularly holds true for gastrointestinal pathogens and the GI microbiota interacting and communicating with each other as well as with the host GI mucus and mucosa . Gut adapted pathogens appear to have developed powerful and specific strategies to interact with human GI mucus including the microbiota for nutrient acquisition mucosal adhesion inter species communication and traversing the mucus barrier . This review covers the existing evidence on these topics and explores the mutual dynamics of host GI mucus the mucosal habitat and incoming acute and chronic pathogens during GI infections . A particular focus is placed on the role of carbohydrates in diverse mucosal interaction communication and competition processes . Novel techniques to analyze and synthesize mucus derived carbohydrates and to generate mucus mimetics are introduced . Finally open questions and future objectives for pathogen host GI mucus research will be discussed . | The niche of the GI mucosa as a complex and dynamic habitat of synergistic and competitive forces shaping pathogens glycans and microbiota. Focus on the interaction of microbial pathogens with mucus and mucus components. Mucus and mucins as a playground for unsurpassed carbohydrate diversity and relevance for pathogen attachment nutrition and pathogenesis. Novel technologies in mucus and glycan analysis and biosynthesis including Nano MSI analytics glycan platforms and cell based glyco arrays. Emerging and future research themes in mucus pathogen interaction are proposed and discussed. |
S1438422120300060 | The occurrence of antibiotic resistance bacteria has become a major threat to public health . We have recently discovered a transcriptional activator that belongs to MarR family EstR and an esterase B with a newly proposed de arenethiolase activity from | EstR regulates expression of esterase B EstB in. sp. SM42. EstR activates. in response to cefoperazone. EstB at periplasm activates cefoperazone to be more active. Efficiency of EstB is enhanced by immobilization to inner and outer membranes. |
S1438422120300096 | The effective control of multidrug resistant tuberculosis relies upon the timely diagnosis and correct treatment of all tuberculosis cases . Whole genome sequencing has great potential as a method for the rapid diagnosis of drug resistant | Multidrug resistant tuberculosis MDR TB threatens humankind. Effective monitoring of MDR TB in clinics is facilitated by NGS technologies. Antibiotic resistance profiling by sequence data in various formats is proposed. Both MDR TB strains and the strains developing drug resistance may be identified. Efforts of clinicians and epidemiologists to control MDR TB will be consolidated. |
S143842212030028X | Phosphoinositides are one kind of membrane components functioning in many intracellular processes especially in signaling transduction and membrane transport . Phosphatidylinositide phosphatases are specifically important for the PIP homeostasis in cell . In our previous study we have identified the actin related protein | Sac1 is an ER membrane protein maintaining endomembrane homeostasis in. PI4P contributes to maintenance of PM s negative electrostatic field. PMs negative electrostatic field affects distribution of PI 4 5 P. PIPs homeostasis is required for maintenance of polarized hyphal growth. |
S143842212030059X | Pneumococci are a common cause of severe infections such as otitis media pneumonia meningitis and bacteremia . Pili are detected in a small proportion of pneumococcal population but these structures have recently been associated with bacterial virulence in humans . Therefore the epidemiological relationships between pneumococcal pili serotype and antimicrobial resistance are of interest . This study aims to discuss the virulence contribution of the | Pili have been detected in a small proportion of pneumococcal population but associated with virulence in human. Piliated pneumococci have been largely clonal carrying drug resistance involving many serotypes mostly covered by pneumococcal conjugate vaccines PCVs . Most of pneumococcal molecular epidemiology network PMEN clones are piliated isolates strongly associated with multidrug resistance. Most of the piliated pneumococci belong to a few clonal complexes CC 320 CC199 CC271 CC191 and CC156. |
S143842212030062X | has evolved various metabolic pathways to scavenge energy from the metabolic byproducts of the host gut microbiota however the precise metabolic byproducts and pathways utilized by | TYR induces expression of SPI 13 and non SPI 13 genes involved in the TYR acetaldehyde catabolic pathways in. DGA induces expression of SPI 13 and non SPI 13 genes involved in DGA transport and catabolism in. DGA induces expression of SPI 2 T3SS genes. This is the first study describing the global transcriptional profiling of TYR and DGA catabolic pathways of. This study provides basic information to study the role of TYR and DGA in nutritional virulence of |
S1439179119302828 | Because cities concentrate 50 of the worlds population and are experiencing a re emergence of urban agriculture we investigated the influences of urban agriculture and surrounding natural areas on floral visitors and plant species in San Cristbal de Las Casas Mexico . | Floral visitor richness and abundance varied with season and management. Seasonality had a strong effect on the floral visitor community. Urban gardens functioned as an oasis for the floral visitor community. Species composition between urban gardens and natural areas was complementary. Interaction networks between flowers and their visitors were dynamic and complex across habitats. |
S1439179119302920 | Habitat quality is often evaluated based on food availability . However ecological theory suggests cover should be a more important decision rule when food is not a proximate threat to fitness as cover mediates predation risk as well as other important factors of fitness . In reality vegetation characteristics related to food availability and cover are rarely coupled with animal use in the same space and time to determine their relative influences on habitat use . Using an array of 81 camera traps in a matrix of forest management strategies used to deliberately cause a wide disparity in vegetation characteristics we monitored intensity of use by white tailed deer | The relative importance of habitat components to habitat use is often debated. Food availability is often used to assess habitat quality but cover usually has a stronger fitness consequence. White tailed deer use was positively influenced by cover and negatively by food. Wild turkey use was positively influenced by grasses which may simultaneously provide food and cover. |
S1439179119303044 | Pollination service in agricultural crops increases significantly with pollinator diversity and wild pollinator abundance . Differences in the foraging behaviour of pollinating insects are one of the reasons why pollinator diversity and abundance enhances crop pollination . Here we focused on the foraging behaviour of honey bees and bumble bees in sweet cherry orchards . In addition we studied the influence of bee diversity and abundance on the foraging behaviour of honey bees and bumble bees . Honey bees were found to visit fewer flowers than bumble bees . Bumble bees also showed a higher probability of changing trees between rows than honey bees . Both visitation rate and probability of row changes of honey bees increased with bumble bee diversity and with bumble bee abundance . We also found that the probability of row changes of honey bees increased with increasing bumble bee abundance . These effects of bumble bee richness and abundance on the pollination behaviour of honey bees can improve the pollination performance of honey bees in crops that depend on cross pollination . Our results highlight the higher pollination performance of bumble bees and the facilitative effect of wild pollinators to crop pollination . | The pollination behaviour of bumble bees is different than that of honey bees. Bumble bee richness and abundance improve the pollination behaviour of honey bees. Bumble bees pollination behaviour was not influenced by bee richness or abundance. |
S1439179120300013 | Tropical montane cloud forest landscapes are changing and forest conversion to other land uses is a major driver of biodiversity loss . Land use intensification can lead to significant losses in biodiversity and carbon storage however the impacts may vary greatly depending on land use type management practices and environmental context . We investigated how biodiversity and C are related along a gradient of land use intensification characterized by four dominant land uses in the upper part of Antigua River watershed Mexico . The land uses were montane cloud forest secondary forest and traditional and intensive shade coffee plantations . We determined tree species composition diversity ecosystem structure wood density and C content in dominant tree species to assess aboveground biomass and C storage within eight study sites across the land use intensity gradient . A total of 83 tree species was recorded . A canonical correspondence analysis indicated that land uses are separated by particular tree species assemblages . Forests had higher basal area density and biomass than coffee plantations however the traditional shade coffee plantation had values similar to secondary forest . Calculating C using the standard estimate of 50 of AGB resulted in an overestimation of stored C by 5.8 to 4.1 compared to calculations based on actual measurements . Carbon storage in AGB and biodiversity were strongly and positively related across the land use intensity gradient although the distinction between the two different intensities of coffee plantation management was not consistently as clear as we had expected . Carbon was highest in forest but secondary forests and traditional shade coffee plantation had similar C while intensive coffee had the lowest C content . These results highlight the importance of considering the potential of low intensity land uses such as traditional coffee plantations to mitigate biodiversity loss and preserve ecosystem functions as part of conservation efforts . | Primary and secondary cloud forests have high biodiversity biomass and C storage. Traditional shade coffee plantation was similar in biomass and C to secondary forest. Low intensity land uses mitigate biodiversity loss and preserve ecosystem functions. |
S1439179120300050 | The conversion of natural lands in urban areas is exponentially increasing worldwide causing a major decline in biodiversity . Environmental alterations caused by urbanization such as land conversion and isolation of natural patches favour tolerant and generalist species causing both species loss and replacement . In addition selective pressure is exerted on particular functional traits driving a functional homogenization or turnover of biotic communities . We sampled ground arthropods within the municipality of Turin wherein an isolated and a connected control subplot were repeatedly sampled at 15 stations distributed along a gradient of increasing urbanization . Such a nested sampling design allowed us to investigate the taxonomic and the functional responses of carabids and spiders to both the urbanization level and patch isolation . First we highlighted the dominant role played by species homogenization | We studied carabid and spider responses to impervious surfaces and patch isolation. The nestedness component mainly explained the total taxonomic and functional diversity. Impervious surfaces cause functional homogenization and turnover in both groups. Patch isolation homogenizes and shifts species composition in both groups. Spider dispersal capacity increases with urbanization density and patch isolation. |
S1439179120300074 | Global changes such as climate and urbanization are strongly entwined and aggravated by the development of human activities which also intensifies the human mediated dispersal of species . However few studies have explicitly considered the combined influence of urbanization and climate on species expansion . We investigated the combined roles of climate urbanization and human mediated dispersal in the expansion of | The distribution of pavement ants depends on the climateurbanization interaction. subsists under harsher climate by colonizing urbanized areas. Combining climate and urbanization is a crucial challenge for distribution studies. is likely an invasive species in urban areas. |
S1439179120300165 | As a process affecting animal communities urbanization has been the subject of numerous studies . However amphibians are still among the least studied vertebrate groups in urbanized landscapes . Generally it has been found that the process of loss of amphibian diversity is nonrandom with species from older evolutionary lines at greater risk . Regional data on amphibian assemblages in urban areas is a very useful tool for assessing how these assemblages react to changes . | We used various metrics to explore amphibian diversity in Polish cities. On average 9.05 species were recorded per city. The number of species was positively correlated with functional evenness followed by evolutionary distinctiveness sum and functional richness. The most evolutionarily unique species in the study assemblages are. and |
S143917912030030X | We studied the role of spatial and environmental processes in the structuring of rodent metacommunities in three contiguous ecoregions that share the same species pool . The two northern ecoregions are mainly affected by anthropogenic processes while the southern one is mainly affected by natural processes . Local communities were described based on the analysis of 77 samples of barn owl pellets . To identify which processes structure each metacommunity we evaluated the percentage of variance explained by space and environment in three Variation Partitioning Redundancy Analyses . The percentage of variance in rodent metacommunities composition explained by space and environment was between 38 and 61 and was significant in all three analyses . The pure space fraction was significant for two of the three ecoregions while the pure environmental fraction was significant for all three ecoregions . The processes that structure rodent metacommunities change across the region . In all three ecoregions the species sorting played a key role while mass effect was a structuring factor for northern metacommunities . These results can be explained by species specific dispersal characteristics and environmental filtering . | The processes that structure rodent metacommunities change across the region. Environmental processes determine the species composition in each local community. Environmental processes determine relative abundance of each species in each local community. Spatial processes vary among ecoregions. Species specific dispersal characteristics act differentially in each ecoregion. |
S1439179120300359 | Herbivores reduce plant productivity by removing part of the assimilation surface . Also they can alter plant traits that affect plantpollinator interactions and reproductive success . The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of defoliation by sawfly | L. is a pest of great importance for. L worldwide. Flower number was higher in infested trees than in non infested trees. Number of fruits per leaf area was similar in infested and non infested trees. Leaf herbivory decreases the fruit and seed quality. |
S1439179120300360 | Bats frequently use caves as roosts due to higher environmental stability and protection . However species specific ecological and physiological requirements and conditions of roosts and their surroundings can influence species presence . Little is known on cave choice by bats in the Neotropics a species and cave rich region . Understanding how bats cave characteristics and the surrounding landscape are related with each other helps the management and conservation of bats and caves . Based on sampling 19 caves using both diurnal observations and captures we tested whether bat richness was positively related to cave temperature humidity size stability and heterogeneity of microhabitats and the preservation and heterogeneity of the surrounding landscape in central Brazil whether cave and landscape characteristics influenced on species composition how species responded to cave and landscape variables and whether these relationships changed between seasons . Temperature was a limiting factor whereas environmental stability humidity and structural attributes of caves favored the occurrence of more species . Larger caves rich in microhabitats but more stable than the external environment supported more species especially in the dry season . Landscape context did not influence species richness and composition in the caves but the percentage of vegetation around caves was important for certain species . Our results highlight the influence of environmental variables in the process of cave selection by Neotropical bat species . Moreover we emphasize the importance of cave protection for bats and provide useful information for decision making in processes of environmental licensing . | Cave temperature is a limiting factor for several bat species. Environmental stability humidity and cave structure influence species occurrence. Larger but more stable microhabitat rich caves harbor more species. Landscape context did not affect species richness and composition. Vegetation cover around caves is important for some species. |
S1439179120300372 | The intensification of agricultural practices contributes to the decline of many taxa such as insects and weeds . Wildflower species have an important environmental impact on rural biodiversity since plant pollinator networks play a key role in both landscape aesthetics and environmental functionality . Due to their scarcity and or disappearance in conventional agroecosystems wildflowers are now being used in strips to restore the agro environment . | Mutualistic interactions in pollination networks depend on the conservation of both pollinator and wildflower communities. The botanical complexity of wildflower strips leads to a prolonged food availability for pollinators. Some wildflower species were visited by a wide range of pollinators while others were more selective. The predominance of a chemical class of volatile implies the attraction for specific pollinators. The choice of species in wildflower strips leads to differences in performance diversified flowering periods and or diversified attractiveness to pollinator species. |
S1439179120300529 | Classical biological control programs introduce primary parasitoids into new geographic regions often exposing them to existing populations of hyperparasitoids . Hyperparasitoids are frequently implicated in the failure of parasitoid biological control agents to establish and provide control of insect pests . The outcome of competition among two or more parasitoid species may be altered if the parasitoids are differentially attacked by the same hyperparasitoids . A reliable assessment of the hyperparasitoid community is needed to understand how top down trophic interactions influence the effectiveness of introduced parasitoids . We examined the diversity of hyperparasitoids attacking | and. share the same enemies. Hyperparasitoids cause greater mortality in. than in. Larger brood size decreased the per capita risk of hyperparasitism. |
S143917912030075X | Herbaceous boundaries adjacent to arable fields can deliver ecosystem services not sufficiently provided at the field scale as well as disservices such as increased weed pressure . The levels of services and disservices depend on the management regime implemented in these boundaries . Our study was conducted in Western France where herbaceous boundaries of many arable fields constitute the road verge and various mowing regimes were tested for conservation purposes . Until now most studies of the influence of mowing regimes focused on one taxonomic group and documented contrasting results depending on the environmental context . This study aimed to compare the influence of two mowing regimes on road verges by evaluating different taxonomic groups that could potentially deliver services or disservices to adjacent arable fields . The mowing regimes used were a standard and an agro environmental regime the latter being characterized by one late mowing a high mowing height and biomass removal . We monitored during two consecutive years seven road verges and their adjacent arable fields . Each road verge was divided into two zones of equal length characterized by a different mowing regime . Communities of plants flower visiting insects and ground beetles were sampled in herbaceous boundaries and or arable fields in the period between the mass flowering of oilseed rape and sunflower crops . In zones where the agro environmental mowing regime had been implemented the average number of inflorescences and flower visiting insects within boundaries were higher than under the standard mowing regime . However between the two mowing regimes no differences in weed cover within arable fields and the average number of ground beetles within boundaries and arable fields were observed . To conclude our study suggests that in our particular environmental context an agro environmental mowing regime could promote pollination in adjacent arable fields without increasing weed pressure within the field . | We established field boundaries with late mowing and high mowing heights. This practice increased the numbers of inflorescences and pollinators. The mowing regime did not influence the average weed cover in wheat fields. The mowing regime did not influence the number of ground beetles. |
S1439179120300785 | Ants are known to provide valuable ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes including oil palm plantations . Their communities are less diverse and more uneven in oil palm compared with forest and this may increase their vulnerability to disturbance . This study quantifies ant communities in oil palm agroforestry and experimentally tests their robustness to a common practice high disturbance management intervention removing understory vegetation . | Ground foraging ants were highly abundant in oil palm plantations. Species evenness was low seven species accounted for 78 of individuals. There were fewer ants in plots where the understory vegetation was removed. Management did not affect species richness species evenness or community composition. |
S1439179120300803 | Decomposing litter is regarded as the most important source of allelochemicals released into soil . In this study a greenhouse experiment was designed to assess the net effect of differently aged leaf litter from exotic | Phytotoxic effects of leaf litter from exotic and native trees predominate over positive effects on the growth of understory herb species. Leaf litter from exotic tree species did not exert a more negative effect on the growth of understory herb species than litter from native trees not supporting the Novel Weapons Hypothesis. The concentration of total phenolics and flavonoids of litter decreased while acid detergent fiber lignin and ergosterol increased as litter age increased. Ergosterol concentration was the strongest constrictor of inhibitory effects of litter on understory species. |
S1439179120300815 | Annual Finnish breeding duck surveys over the last 30 years show declining abundance among several species and greater declines on eutrophic waters than oligotrophic lakes . It has been suggested that habitat related differences in the rate of increase in predation pressure is a potential explanation for contrasting duck population trajectories between habitats . We assessed potential duck nest predation risk and predator presence in various duck breeding habitats in Finland and Denmark by monitoring 333 artificial duck nests with wildlife cameras during 20172019 . Predation rates differed between landscapes and habitats nest predation rate and predator diversity were lowest in forested and highest in agricultural landscapes . Forest nests further from water bodies survived better than nests around shorelines of permanent lakes . Of the 16 different predator species detected the most common were Eurasian magpie | Predation of artificial duck nests was high in agricultural landscapes. Shoreline nests had lower survival than nest further away from waterbodies. Predation by native predators was typically associated with particular landscapes. Alien raccoon dog was a common predator across all habitats and landscapes. |
S143917912030092X | Retention forestry intends to promote biodiversity by retaining deadwood and tree related microhabitats . Simultaneously production forests undergo major structural changes by conversion into near natural forests . As insect biomass is declining it is important to understand how insect communities respond to management related changes in forest structure . While some structural elements such as deadwood are studied extensively three dimensional forest structure is often neglected . Terrestrial laser scanning offers new approaches to quantify three dimensional structure but their suitability has not been evaluated with field based insect surveys . | Uneven aged mixed species forest stands promote total insect abundance. Total insect abundance in forests is positively related to multi layered vegetation. Non herbivorous taxa are further related to understorey vegetation structure. Terrestrial laser scanning provides structure indices relevant for insects. |
S1439179120300931 | Large old trees are keystone organisms that generate a highly connected network of interactions because they provide refuge and feeding sites to mammals with different habitat requirements through their under canopy structure and deadwood . In dry woodlands these keystone trees are found within agricultural landscapes where grazing and deadwood removal are the main subsistence activities carried out by local people . These activities can modify the structure of trees and in turn affect small mammal communities . Our objective was to assess how different land management types modify the structure of | Tree structure reflects grazing and deadwood removal history of areas. Deadwood and grass cover favor rodent species that need complex habitats. Protection provided by trees was differentially perceived by rodent species. Different land management scenarios allow for conservation of the whole rodent assemblage. |
S1439179120300992 | Bats play an important role as predators of insect populations but are threatened by a variety of factors including the loss of foraging habitat and insect declines . Knowledge on trophic interactions foraging strategies and hunting areas is key to understanding the ecology of bat species to assess their impact on ecosystems and to optimize conservation strategies . We investigated seasonal trends in the diet of two nursery colonies of the serotine bat | First high resolution dietary analysis of the serotine bat. . Detection of 254 taxa at species or genus level of 13 arthropod orders indicates a generalistic diet and the use of a broad variety of foraging habitats. Equal use of Coleoptera Diptera and Lepidoptera contradicting previous morphological dietary analyses that had shown beetles to be the most relevant prey. Among the most frequently detected prey taxa were many pests of agriculture and forestry. Seasonal variations in prey diversity and prey composition were mainly determined by the phenology of available prey. |
S146290111630332X | Science policy interface organizations and initiatives are a key component of environmental governance designed to make links between science and society . However the sciencepolicy interface literature lacks a structured approach to explaining the impacts of context on and by these initiatives . To better understand these impacts on and interactions with governance this paper uses the concept of the governance meshwork to explore how dynamic processes encompassing prior current and anticipated interactions coproduce knowledge and impact via processes negotiation and networking activities at multiple governance levels . To illustrate the interactions between SPIORGs and governance meshwork we use five cases representing archetypal SPIORGs . These cases demonstrate how all initiatives and organizations link to their contexts in complex and unique ways yet also identifies ten important aspects that connect the governance meshwork to SPIORGs . These aspects of the meshwork together with the typology of organizations provide a comprehensive framework that can help make sense how the SPIORGs are embedded in the surrounding governance contexts . We highlight that SPIORGs must purposively consider and engage with their contexts to increase their potential impact on knowledge co production and policy making . | Science policy interface organizations SPIORGs have complex links with context. A governance meshwork approach can help structure analysis of links with context. We illustrate application of this approach using five divergent cases of SPIORGs. We identify ten aspects of governance meshwork with varying linkages to SPIORGs. Deliberate attention to context will enhance SPIORGs ability to achieve impact. |
S1462901116308279 | This paper presents an historical perspective on the interaction between conservation science and policy . Drawing on a synthesis of studies of the history of conservation and combining this with work in science policy and related fields it considers the implications of a shift beginning in the 1960s in the politics of expertise . Before that time scientific evidence and interpretations were usually discussed within restricted arenas of experts and policymakers . After the 1960s they instead increasingly became matters of public debate . This shift had several consequences for conservation . It encouraged scientists and other advocates to present conservation as a strictly scientific matter that was based on authoritative quantitative and transparent and therefore publically defensible processes . Conservation science itself evolved to emphasize spatial concepts and practices that could provide the basis for rule based replicable procedures for determining conservation priorities . This account therefore illustrates the insights to be gained from reconsidering the history of conservation in terms of our understanding of the evolving status and social roles of expertise . | Conservation science and policy evolved together throughout the twentieth century. Science policy relations were redefined when expertise shifted from private to public. With this shift conservation advocacy became defined in strictly scientific terms. Conservation science emphasized spatial concepts and rule based replicable procedures. Historical synthesis can help explain relations between science and policy today. |
S1462901117302095 | Scientific knowledge is considered to be an important factor in environmental policy making . However the opportunity for environmentalists to influence policy can often occur within short discrete time windows . Therefore a piece of research may have a negligible or transformative policy influence depending on when it is presented . These policy windows are sometimes predictable such as those dealing with conventions or legislation with a defined renewal period but are often hard to anticipate . We describe four ways that environmentalists can respond to policy windows and increase the likelihood of knowledge uptake 1 | Policy windows periodically open enabling easier knowledge uptake. Environmental research has tended to regard policy windows as serendipitous. We argue that environmentalists can create identify and seize on policy windows. We propose a 4 stage framework for practically approaching policy windows. |
S1462901117303568 | Despite the expressed desire for evidence based policy especially in the environmental field many policies seem to ignore available knowledge and to put aside scientific evidence . The sciencepolicy interface therefore has abundant examples showing that knowledge production and decision making processes should be analysed together . In this regard we address the question of how biodiversity scientists could participate in social and political negotiation so that scientific biodiversity knowledge becomes evidence . We use the use of | Scientific evidence is not systematically taken into account in decision making processes. Biodiversity scientists have to participate in social and political negotiations to raise scientific knowledge as evidence. This participation relies on combined aspects networking perseverance and reframing of research. |
S1462901117306366 | Co production is one of the most important ideas in the theory and practice of knowledge and governance for global sustainability including ecology and biodiversity conservation . A core challenge confronting the application of co production has been confusion over differences in definition and practice across several disciplinary traditions including sustainability science public administration and science and technology studies . In this paper we review the theoretical foundations of these disciplinary traditions and how each has applied co production . We suggest at the theoretical level the differences across disciplines are in fact more apparent than real . We identify several theoretical convergences that allow us to synthesize a strong conceptual foundation for those seeking to design and implement co production work in programs of global sustainability research and policy . | Co production is a core idea in the theory and practice of global sustainability. Theories of co production converge across diverse disciplinary traditions. Co production incorporates both multiple producers and multiple products. Co production practices produce both knowledge and sustainability outcomes. Co production practices should recognize and value both process and outcomes. |
S1462901118307779 | Access to high quality timely and comparable data is a prerequisite for any effective decision making process and having such data available for the environment is absolutely fundamental to efficient and evidence based policymaking . This article reviews the establishment of a Shared Environmental Information System in Europe and Central Asia to improve our understanding of how environmental data value chains are being employed to produce share and use reliable data on the environment and whether this data is used in policymaking . Three sources of data are utilised to analyse whether relevant environmental data and information are being drawn upon by policymakers namely the 2019 SEIS mid term review SEIS Factsheets and SEIS Gap Analysis Reports . The results reveal that the pan European region still faces significant data harmonisation problems owing in part to differences in types and methods of data collection data definitions and legislation . Whilst problems in some individual countrys participation have persisted since the launch of the SEIS initiative in the pan European region the development and successful piloting of the SEIS self assessment framework is considered as evidence of positive progress . However it remains difficult to adequately assess to what extent the data flows covered by this study impact on policymaking nevertheless the analysis serves to highlight the inter linkages between environmental data flows policymakers and environmental governance . In practical terms the paper demonstrate a disconnect between data production and data use in policymaking and emphasises the need to both improve our understanding of the political determinants of data use and to further investigate how the uptake of environmental data and information can be facilitated in policymaking . | The Shared Environmental Information System SEIS aim to expand the access to environmental data. SEIS has had a significant and positive impact on the production and harmonisation of environmental indicators. Data harmonization problems e.g. data collection definitions and legislation remain throughout the pan European region. Non evidence based policymaking highlight a disconnect between data production and data use. Need to improve our understanding of the political and behavioural determinants of data use. |
S1462901118307780 | Urban decision makers are increasingly focused on enhancing community resilience in anticipation of more frequent and intense impacts from climate variability and change . These impacts will manifest in complex and nuanced ways particularly when coupled with additional social economic and environmental shifts that vary across contexts . Given these challenges urban decision makers are seeking new knowledge and new ways of using existing knowledge to support decision making processes . In response a broad range of knowledge products have been developed for urban areas . Yet to date little research has directly evaluated these products . The Knowledge Product Evaluation framework addresses this gap by providing both conceptual clarity surrounding knowledge products and a structured generalizable methodology to guide research and support improved knowledge product creation and uptake . The KnoPE Framework combines data and information on knowledge products their use in decision making over time and evidence of tangible actions taken . The KnoPE Framework was developed with two urban resilience knowledge products the Urban Climate Adaptation Tool and the Maine Flood Resilience Checklist . Initial testing indicates that the KnoPE Framework can assess the transferability scalability and use of knowledge products in urban resilience decision making . Any evaluation using the KnoPE Framework requires a thorough understanding of the contextual details of each case and understanding what factors may influence knowledge product development and subsequent decision making processes and outcomes . Yet as an analytical entry point for the evaluation of knowledge products the KnoPE Framework can offer insights regarding the extent to which knowledge products influence urban resilience decision making processes . | A framework to evaluate urban resilience knowledge products is applied in two cases. The knowledge product evaluation assesses elements scales resilience and use. Knowledge product implementation and facilitation strategies may increase use. Methods that identify actions only in reports likely miss some resilience progress. The knowledge product evaluation framework can help improve knowledge products. |
S1462901118312188 | This article demonstrates the analytical added value of combining the Institutional Resource Regime approach with the Advocacy Coalition Framework . To this end we use the example of Swiss wind power policy and demonstrate the necessity of combining the two theoretical frameworks so as to understand why a more supportive policy regime for Swiss wind power during the 2000s and 2010s did not lead to an increase in the number of wind turbines in Switzerland . In order to evaluate the explanatory capacity of such a theoretical combination we analyze and compare two cases of wind power policy implementation the successful case of Mont Crosin and the failure of Tramelan . More concretely we first analyze each of the cases through the institutional lenses of the IRR framework . After assessing IRR explanatory capacities and shortcomings we then test the explanatory added value of the ACF and demonstrate that policy beliefs and advocacy coalitions are central explanatory factors of wind power project siting success or failure . We conclude by discussing the theoretical potential of combining the two frameworks in a future research agenda . | Thorough presentation of the IRR framework. Thorough presentation of the ACF framework. Use of both frameworks IRR ACF to explain the low outcomes of swiss wind power policy implementation. Original theoretical proposal to combine both approaches in a single framework. Use of diverse methods processes tracing qualitative content analysis . |
S1462901118312292 | The ever increasing consumption of pharmaceuticals cosmetics detergents and food additives puts aquatic ecosystems under strain . Accordingly respective regulation of micropollutants in surface waters is an issue that not only needs to include the perspective of public actors and producers but also that of the consumers . Complementing existing literature on public perception towards environmental policy instruments this study investigates how consumers assess the risks related to micropollutants in surface waters and what their regulatory preferences are for addressing this issue . Drawing on original survey data for Germany we show that respondents perceive the presence of micropollutants in surface waters to be an issue worth addressing mostly due to environmental concerns . The majority of respondents is aware that they share some responsibility regarding increased levels of micropollutants in surface waters . Main responsibility is attributed to the industrial and agricultural sector however . Regarding potential regulatory measures to mitigate the entry of micropollutants into surface waters respondents prefer command and control over market based instruments . | Survey data suggests that Germans perceive the occurrence of micropollutants in surface waters an issue worth addressing. Germans are worried about aquatic micropollutants mostly because of environmental rather than health concerns. A majority of the public acknowledges shared responsibility for the entry of micropollutants. Market based instruments are considerably less popular than command and control measures among respondents. Concern for human health and trust in political institutions correlate with support for market based instruments. |
S1462901118312747 | The Paris Climate agreement of 2015 implies that a large portion of the worlds coal oil and gas resources must be left non combusted in order to meet the goal of limiting climate change to 2 C. As a result of this commitment some of the national and corporate owners of fossil fuel reserves will be required to leave their reserves in the ground . However which reserves should be left in the ground and when and how should reserve owners be compensated Using the oil reserves in Ugandas Albertine Graben as a case study we show that Ugandan oil development is likely to be cost effective but unlikely to be consistent with the Paris Treaty commitments . We argue that Western nations should compensate Uganda for their foregone oil revenues and we propose a mechanism called climate easements for such compensation . | The Paris agreement implies that some fossil fuel resources must not be extracted. Foreclosed resources may be in developing nations and foreclosure may be unjust. A test is proposed to identify foreclosed resources and assign responsibility. A climate easement approach is proposed to compensate for resource foreclosure. |
S1462901118313893 | Whether a new policy is adapted to a new social ecological reality depends on the complex interactions that play out from the policy process itself . The established theories of the policy process do not directly or explicitly address the actors ability to influence . This study attempts to fill this gap by developing a model of actors capacity to influence which allows us to analyze the casual relationship between actors influencing capacity and its effects on policy decision making . This paper provides an in depth study of the 2010 Brazilian Solid Waste Policy a policy process characterized by high conflict that took almost 20 years to be approved by Brazilian Congress . It maps the actors capacity of influence over the course of ten years to understand how this influence is related to policy dynamics and policy contents . The study involves document analyses and interviews with relevant stakeholders . The findings identify the important role of influential actors in causing moments of paralysis and in fostering instrumental design . The insights on actors capacity of influence and its effects contribute to our understanding of the complex dynamics of the environmental policy process . | This study developed a model of actors capacity to influence the policy process. It seeks to understand how influence is related to policy dynamics and contents. An actor centered perspective is assumed. Individual resources and political relational resources both play a role. The 2010 Brazilian Solid Waste Policy is used as a case study. |
S1462901119300097 | Coastal hazards pose a serious and increasing threat to the wellbeing of coastal communities . Adaptation responses to these hazards ideally need to be embedded in the local adaptation context . However there is little understanding of factors that shape local adaptation choices especially in rural and remote island settings . In this paper we compile data on adaptation responses to coastal hazards and key factors that shape adaptation across 43 towns and villages in four Pacific island nations . Local communities cite erosion as a critical coastal hazard even more often than coastal flooding and sea level rise . We find that communities prefer protective adaptation responses that use local knowledge and resources eand protect coastal ecosystems . Our findings reveal differences in preferred versus implemented adaptation responses.Ecosystem based adaptation is the most commonly implemented response to coastal hazards . Seawalls and other hard structures are widely preferred and perceived as effective adaptation responses but are often not implemented due to a lack of social institutional and technical capacity . Retreat is a highly unpopular adaptation response and difficult to implement as coastal communities in this study indicate a strong place attachment and are deeply embedded in their social and natural environment . Our results suggest that the selection of adaptation responses might involve important trade offs between multiple potentially conflicting local priorities such as the preference for seawalls and the need to protect coastal ecosystems . Findings emphasize the importance of considering the local context when making adaptation choices and show that even when responding to the same hazard adaptation responses can vary significantly depending on local priorities and capacities . | Assessment of adaptation to coastal hazards in 43 communities in 4 Pacific nations. Key assets threatened by hazards include homes public toilets and cultural assets. In all locations emphasis on protective adaptation that use local resources and preserve ecosystems. Ecosystem based adaptation is the most common response and seawalls are widely preferred. Social technical capacities local knowledge and environment preservation are key priorities. |
S1462901119300942 | There is an increasing recognition globally of the role to be played by community science scientific research and monitoring driven and controlled by local communities and characterized by place based knowledge social learning collective action and empowerment . In particular community science can support social ecological system transformation and help in achieving better fit between ecological systems and governance at local and higher levels of decision making . This paper draws on three examples of communities as central actors in the process of knowledge co production to present a typology of community science and to deduce a set of key principles conditions for success . The typology involves three social learning models in which the community acquires scientific knowledge by engaging with external bodies drawing on internal volunteer scientific expertise and or hiring in house professional scientific expertise . All of these models share the key characteristic that the local community decides with whom they wish to engage and in each case social learning is fundamental . Some conditions that facilitate community science include community driven and community control flexibility across leadership models connection to place and collective values empowerment agency and collective action credible trust local knowledge and links to governance . Community science is not a panacea for effecting change at the local level and there is need for critical assessment of how it can help to fill governance gaps . Nevertheless a considerable body of experience globally illustrates how local communities are drawing effectively on community science for better conservation and livelihood outcomes in a manner compatible with broader trends toward ecosystem based management and local stewardship . | Community science is community driven and community controlled. Community science involves local knowledge collective action empowerment. Community science helps to improve conservation livelihood governance outcomes. Community science links to ecosystem based management environmental sustainability. Community science involves social learning with external internal or hired expertise. |
S1462901119301133 | Air quality in China is a major public health social and economic concern . Air pollution governance and research in China have been increasingly active in the past decade especially since 2013 when strict emission controls were implemented . Such emission control policies have been informed through dialogue between scientists and policy makers on the sources and transport of air pollution in order to identify potential control measures . However the process of making regulatory decisions about air pollution controls at this science policy interface in China has rarely been analysed or discussed . We outline four classical science policy models for making regulatory decisions proposed by scholars the decisionist model whereby policy dictates what science and regulatory decisions are required the technocratic model where science dictates policy directly the inverted decisionist model and the co evolutionary model . Boundary actors play a key role in this co evolutionary model . They operate as gate keepers between scientists and policy makers . Most contemporary studies of the science policy interface argue that the co evolutionary model best captures the reality of how science and policy interact effectively to make regulatory decisions . To assess which of these models most closely resemble decision making at the air pollution science policy interface we conducted a case study on air quality climate services and held workshops with Chinese scientists decision makers and stakeholders . A typology of existing scientific approaches to explore air quality climate science is presented . The workshop results show that the current air quality climate science policy interplay occurs most strongly in accordance with the co evolutionary model whereby the Beijing Climate Centre and the National Environmental Monitoring Centre operate as the key boundary actors between science and policy specifically for a seasonal air pollution haze outlook service . We illustrate that current seasonal haze outlooks carefully avoiding quantification . We then present a conceptual framework of the air pollution science policy interface in China which captures the main participants and the interactive flow of information between them . | Chinas seasonal haze outlook service is a case of a new science policy interface. We present a conceptual framework of Chinas air pollution science policy interface. UK China workshops show co evolutionary science policy interplay. Boundary actors mediate science policy interplay under complexity and uncertainty. Chinas BCC NEMC plays a key role in air quality science policy co evolution. |
S1462901119301297 | The livestock sector has a large influence on direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions with potential negative impacts on climate change . We quantify the environmental impacts related to the introduction of a voluntary animal based policy supported by the European Union the Measure 14 of Rural Development Programmes 20142020 on animal welfare . In particular we focus on methane and nitrous oxide emissions and on carbon based and nitrous oxide emissions from land use change . Our case study is the dairy sector of the EU Member States . We found that the animal based measures have limited environmental impacts although marked differences exist across Member States . | Animal based policies correct market failures but may have side effect on environment. Direct and indirect environmental impacts are heterogeneous across EU Member States. Animal based policies would contribute although marginally to meet the EU 2020 target of 20 cuts in GHG emissions. |
S1462901119302126 | The second pillar of the European Unions Common Agricultural Policy is to foster rural development in terms of ecosystems and environment economics and society . | We found direct and indirect references to 19 different ecosystem services. The provision of ecosystem services is mainly seen as based on anthropogenous activities. Cultural ecosystem services are treated superficially and associated with economic considerations. Internal coherence of the main ecosystem services is not given within the PFEIL document. While it is assumed that there are synergies between ES trade offs are not taken into account. |
S1462901119302199 | The population of absentee landholders in rural areas of Australia and worldwide has risen over recent decades underpinning the need to better understand how to effectively engage this stakeholder group especially from natural resource management agencies . Prior research argues that these often difficult to reach rural actors play an important role in environmental management biodiversity conservation and cross property collaborations . Therefore this paper investigates the ways in which absentee landholders access information on land management practices the extent of their engagement with government NRM agencies and the potential for absentee landholders to engage in cross property collaboration . | Absentee landholders engage with a diverse range of information sources. Local NRM agency information was widely used and valued. Relationships with neighbours represented the strongest connection to community. Interest in collaborations was mostly related to conservation and amenity. Diverse motivations should be considered by NRM agencies future outreach efforts. |
S1462901119302539 | By building infrastructure planners want to exert control over the environment for the sake of society . Due to uncertainty and complexity such control is always limited and can become contested . Based on a case study of replacing a pumping station we show how planners can understand the replacement of infrastructure and what informs adequate replacement strategies amid uncertainty . The paper argues that the concepts | Infrastructure replacement decisions restructure environments landscapes and water systems. Replacements come with locational and functional decisions for the long term. Adequate strategies need to consider system network location and object level choices. Adaptive options for replacements are closed and opened through interaction of different levels. |
S146290111930262X | Palm oil is an edible oil with a high yield various economic benefits and many diverse uses . However its production has led to increased deforestation the endangerment of several species and toxic greenhouse gas emissions . The current study had two aims to generate a list of palm oil related pro environmental behaviours that general community members in Australia can do and to identify one or more behaviours from this list to address in a behaviour change intervention . Semi structured interviews with 12 experts generated a list of 11 potential palm oil related PEB . The same experts rated this list in terms of potential effectiveness in reducing the negative environmental effects of palm oil . A community sample of 300 participants rated the same PEB on likelihood of adoption and current penetration . These scores were integrated into a behaviour prioritization matrix which revealed that the most beneficial PEB to target was purchasing products containing only sustainable palm oil . This study is an essential preliminary step in behaviour change interventional research and outlines the process of selecting specific consumer behaviour related to environmental concerns . Policy based implications are discussed . | Purchasing products with sustainable palm oil is a beneficial target behavior. Encouraging manufacturers to use sustainable palm oil might have the highest impact. Awareness and concern about palm oil predicted 33 variance in penetration. Awareness and concern about palm oil predicted 46 variance in probability. |
S1462901119303016 | The impact of collaborative research approaches on science and society has been subject to much debate and speculation . However empirically grounded analyses of the process impact link remain the exception . That includes comparing participation planning intended processes expectations and implementation . This paper delivers a theoretically informed comparison between different approaches to participation that are practised . It does so by performing a criteria guided analysis of 31 participatory sustainability studies covering different areas of study and spatial levels . This provides an understanding of how participation is translated from theory into practice what challenges occur that contradict initial aims and how these potentially influence expected effects . The results show stark divergences between planning and implementation persistent normative ideals in the planning phase echoing deliberative and emancipatory claims contrast with an emphasis on effectiveness during implementation . This leads to a systematic over representation of experts and an under representation of diverse societal actors in the studies . The focus is on producing directly measurable results rather than promoting possible societal effects . These findings facilitate a deeper discussion of which conditions and procedures could aid the design and delivery of high impact collaboration in the future . | Results show divergences between planning and implementation. Many projects follow a consensual deliberative ideal but struggle to implement it. Functional expert driven participation dominates despite other intentions. Many projects insufficiently present and evaluate their participatory process. Projects focus on measurable outputs instead of possible long term societal effects. |
S1462901119303156 | Salmon production and aquaculture in general entails certain environmental risks that must be managed and controlled . In Norway as in other aquaculture producing countries governments seek means of improving the industry and encouraging sustainable conduct . In Norwegian aquaculture regulation the salmon louse has become an important indicator and regulatory instrument a governmental technology . The louse is a proxy for the environmental impact of the industry and as a governmental technology it is used to regulate and incite behavior . In this paper we draw on results from both interviews and an analysis of responses to a consultation round for a governmental White Paper proposing new means for regulating the growth of the aquaculture industry . Based on these results we investigate the becoming of the salmon louse as a regulatory instrument and how this is perceived among relevant stakeholders . The political significance of the salmon louse serves to illuminate how a governmental technology is created to instill control from a distance . The history of how the salmon louse has become a governable object additionally elucidates disagreements and uncertainties surrounding modern salmon farming and demonstrates that the creation of governmental technologies persists in the face of resistance . | In the salmon farming industry in Norway the salmon louse is an important indicator for environmental impact. This indicator used as a regulatory instrument a governmental technology to control the industry. Governmental technologies are employed to instill control from a distance. In the aquaculture industry in Norway the use of salmon lice to regulate the industry has been met with resistance. |
S146290111930317X | Novel technologies are continually being developed every day . Lessons from the past show that some resulted in unintended harm to the Earths system . The challenge for organizations working at the interface of the environment technology and society is therefore how to best harness the environmental benefits from new technologies while minimizing their potential adverse effects . Here we identify some of the emerging technologies that the international development community needs to consider as it seeks to take advantage of new technologies to promote sustainable development . There are several innovations such as blockchain nanotechnology synthetic biology cellular agriculture and gene editing techniques that could either positively or negatively affect the environment food security human health and the transition to clean energy . Some of their benefits and potential environmental and socio economic concerns are discussed . We further suggest actions that can be taken by organizations involved in sustainable development such as the United Nations and other global and regional bodies to exploit the benefits from novel technologies and mitigate their risks . | Presents findings from a foresight exercise on novel entities technologies that can impact the global environment. Technology critical elements identified as entities with positive and negative impact on the environment. Identified technologies include blockchain nanotechnology CRISPR cellular agriculture and engineered bio based material. Strategic postures for harnessing the benefits and minimizing potential negative impacts were presented. Actions to exploit the benefits from novel technologies and mitigate their risks were suggested. |
S1462901119303247 | Climate change threatens Kenyan agriculture and the environment and jeopardizes peoples livelihoods and food security . The 2017 Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy claims to guide a transformation of Kenyas agricultural system through an integrated approach to agriculture climate change development environment and food security . By undertaking a longitudinal analysis of policy frames this study temporally contextualizes climate smart agriculture policy adoption to understand whether CSA is a transformative tool versus business as usual . A policy frame analysis of the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment between 2002 and 2017 complemented with in depth interviews addresses the question how policy frames for agriculture climate change development environment and food security have evolved over time and which factors contributed to policy frame development in Kenya . Findings demonstrate that CSA in Kenya is an incremental shift away from existing policy frames rather than a radical transformation a discrepancy exists between Strategic Plans and sectoral policies and policy frames are influenced by donors regional and global fora and personal networks . This study suggests that CSAs relevance is limited to those contexts that acknowledge a complex relationship between agriculture climate change development environment and food security prior to CSA policy adoption . | In Kenyan policy climate and agriculture are increasingly framed as interlinked. Climate smart agriculture adoption in Kenya is a continuation of an ongoing trend. The Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy is more than old wine in new bottles. In Kenya a frame discrepancy exists between strategic plans and sectoral policies. Policy frames are influenced by donors regional global fora and personal networks. |
S1462901119303272 | The open landscapes produced over centuries by small scale farming in Norwegian coastal and fjord areas are threatened by agricultural abandonment raising public concern for maintenance of the species rich and valuable coastal grasslands . Semi natural grasslands traditionally grazed in the spring and fall and mown in summer are most affected . Two linear programming models one for small scale sheep and one for small scale mixed dairy and meat farms both described in a separate method article were developed . In the models is studied effects on production grazing and land utilization of altering government financial support among leys on arable land enclosed farm pasture grazing animals and altering the prices farmers pay for concentrate feed at the farm level . Sheep grazing can be expanded by intensification through increased fertilization and purchase of concentrate feed . Raising steers instead of bulls on dairy and beef farms with a milk quota would result in more mixed grazing by both sheep and steers which is advantageous for the landscape . Steers are currently quite rare in Norway and their numbers can be increased with more subsidies for grazing or by increasing the Regional Environmental Support a policy instrument targeting local projects for more grazing in specific areas . The current Agriculture and Cultural Landscape subsidy payment places a higher value on arable land compared to the more biodiverse farm pastures resulting in weaker incentives for keeping farm pasture in production . Raising the rate for farm pasture relative to that of arable land in the ACL scheme would result in stronger incentives for keeping such farm pasture in production and likely increase biodiversity and landscape values . Increased GS for sheep might lead to more purchase of concentrate to keep more animals through the winter and eventually needs to be counteracted with higher prices for concentrated feedstuffs . | The current Agriculture and Cultural Landscape ACL subsidy payment places a higher value on arable land compared to the more biodiverse farm pastures resulting in weaker incentives for keeping farm pasture in production. Raising the rate for farm pasture relative to that of arable land in the ACL scheme would result in stronger incentives for keeping such farm pasture in production and likely increase biodiversity and landscape values in the coastal and fjord areas. Moreover in order to preserve the coastal and fjord landscape values more mixed grazing systems with more steers in particular should be encouraged |
S1462901119303314 | Cities all over the world are confronting intertwined environmental social and economic problems and aim to become resilient to climate change and promote wellbeing for all their citizens . Nature based solutions have been proposed as a promising policy approach to addressing urban problems for the potential they have to deliver multiple benefits and foster wellbeing for individuals and communities . However the evidence for their multiple benefits is rather scarce and highly fragmented and more robust frameworks for the monitoring and assessment of their impacts are needed to guide urban policy making . This paper focuses on the current state of impact assessment of nature based solutions in Europe and through a systematic review of the literature identifies four conceptual problems and three empirical gaps that impede the accumulation of solid evidence regarding of the impacts of different types of nature based solutions for different social groups as well as of the contextual conditions that contribute to their performance and delivery of multiple outcomes . Based on the identified mis conceptualizations and gaps we derive a series of principles that should guide the development of robust impact assessment frameworks for nature based solutions . We discuss the policy implications of these gaps and principles . We conclude by making a series of recommendations that should inform the design of impact monitoring and evaluation frameworks in cities in order to develop the comparative evidence base on the effectiveness of nature based solutions . This in turn can inform urban decision making on the appropriate design implementation and long term regeneration of nature based solutions to ensure long term delivery of important ecosystem services for different social groups . | Robust impact evaluation frameworks for nature based solutions that assess multifunctionality are virtually inexistent. There are many conceptual problems and empirical gaps in evaluation schemes for nature based solutions. The pathways connecting nature based solutions and outcomes should be systematically defined and assessed. Trade offs between outcomes and among social groups should be identified. Long term evaluation of outcomes should become more common. |
S1462901119303417 | Economic instruments for conservation are invoked as a strategy to achieve the dual goals of maintaining healthy ecosystems and improving human well being . The outcomes of such instruments are highly variable and there has been limited analysis of their social outcomes . Economic instruments for conservation can create opportunity and political leverage for minority groups or reinforce pre existing power relationships and reproduce socio economic inequalities . This research examines the equity implications of a government scheme from Brazil known as an ecological fiscal transfer looking at how institutional arrangements and local power dynamics influence the application of revenue to achieve social outcomes . A case study from the Atlantic forest explores whether the application of revenue reflects the interests of a broad community base and avoids elite capture or if decision making processes are engineered by local power actors to further specific interests . Results demonstrate how poor local institutional capacity limits the effective governance of the revenue leading to limited positive social outcomes . Furthermore incentives offered by the mechanism stimulate conservation activity which implies high costs for the rural poor . The application of a framework of good governance guides the development of recommendations for improving the social equity of ecological fiscal transfer policies . These findings reinforce the importance of the design of EFTs applied in regions of poverty if they are to promote socially equitable conservation . | Economic instruments for conservation create opportunity or reproduce inequality. Local outcomes of an ecological fiscal transfer EFT from Brazil are examined. Institutional context and power dynamics influence the application of revenue. Good governance principles inform recommendations for socially equitable EFTs. |
S1462901119303491 | Despite increasing scientific understanding of the global environmental crisis we struggle to adopt the policies science suggests would be effective . One of the reasons for that is the lack of inclusive engagement and dialogue among a wide range of different actors . Furthermore there is a lack of consideration of differences between languages worldviews and cultures . In this paper we propose that engagement across the science policy interface can be strengthened by being mindful of the breadth and depth of the diverse human nature relations found around the globe . By examining diverse conceptualizations of nature in more than 60 languages we identify three clusters inclusive conceptualizations where humans are viewed as an integral component of nature non inclusive conceptualizations where humans are separate from nature and deifying conceptualizations where nature is understood and experienced within a spiritual dimension . | We examined diverse conceptualizations of nature in more than 60 languages. Inclusive and non inclusive natures imply humans as part of or separate from nature. Deifying natures depict nature within a spiritual dimension. Diverse conceptualizations of nature influence environmental policy and future scenarios. Acknowledging this diversity is key to representative environmental governance. |
S146290111930351X | Artisanal and Small scale Mining activities continue to grow in many resource endowed countries with ASM generated revenues serving as a precursor to socio economic growth especially in mineral rich rural communities . However the rapid proliferation of this extractive activity into new frontiers often extends to territories where traditionally agricultural activities may already be present . Considering the destructive effects of the ASM life cycle on the environment concerns have been raised regarding the negative agricultural impacts of ASM . Thus in this paper we review the Janus faced nature of ASM as discourses have developed in the burgeoning literature . Our review reveals an emerging narrative suggesting that in some instances ASM and agriculture complement each other with beneficial consequences . Nevertheless this highly informal type of mining can have deleterious effects on agriculture through three main mechanisms land degradation and farm invasions water and mercury pollution and the | We review the complementarity of Artisanal and Small scale Mining and agriculture. Communities can both benefit or be harmed through ASM effects on agriculture. Land degradation water pollution and labour shifts are the main harm mechanisms. Most ASM happens in rural agricultural communities so vulnerabilities increase. Resources policy should ensure accommodation of both sectors in rural economies. |
S1462901119303661 | In the past decade research on interconnected resource challenges has primarily focused on quantifying physical resource interconnections and there is a growing focus on the social economic and policy dimensions of these interconnections . While the nature of the complexity of interconnected resource challenges resulted in emphasizing the need for inter and trans disciplinary research and in increased collaboration between research groups little work has examined the convergence of perspectives between the research groups and their respective stakeholders . This paper focuses on the San Antonio Region of Texas a resource hotspot characterized by rapid urbanization increased energy production in the Eagle Ford Shale Play and growing agricultural activity . The paper reports on a survey sent to 370 researchers and regional stakeholders from governmental non governmental non profit and business organizations in the Regions water energy or food sectors . The study goals were to 1 evaluate | Importance of spot checking convergence between researchers and stakeholders. Aspects of convergence between researchers and regional stakeholders over issues of WEF. Modest levels of communication between respondents and WEF organizations. Convergence on the high potential of information sharing and improved communication |
S1462901119303685 | This article provides an overview of how systematic review methods have been used to evaluate public policy . It argues that these methods can be applied to the evaluation of environmental public policy but that certain challenges need to be addressed in order to fulfil the SR methods potential . The article reflects upon two methodological challenges confronting systematic reviewers how data from the articles should be synthesised and how to take societal contexts into account . Analysing how these challenges have been addressed in practice contributes to the theoretical discussion about the usefulness of different synthesis methods and the role of context . Three lessons are drawn as to how systematic review methods can become useful when applied to the evaluation of environmental public policy namely to anticipate the heterogeneity in the literature from the beginning in terms of both research design and operationalisation of key concepts to consider the purpose of the review when deciding whether to take a single or multi context approach and to be methodologically innovative when applying the systematic review methods to complex policies . | A review of SRs that have investigated public policy was undertaken. SR methods can be applied to environmental public policy but methodological challenges need to be addressed. Heterogeneity in the literature should be anticipated and considered when planning an SR of public policy. Contextual differences should be considered to identify the best way to take this into account in the synthesis. Methodological innovations are required to enable SRs to be used to evaluate complex policies e.g. environmental policy. |
S1462901119303776 | Transdisciplinary sustainability research is characterised by methodologies that support a rich and direct interaction between academics and other societal stakeholders . However it is not to be taken for granted that societal stakeholders are interested in collaboration or that researchers have the skills to put participative methods into action . While there are several frameworks available to evaluate transdisciplinary research the quality of participants engagement is often neglected during evaluations . The aim of this paper is to empirically assess the intrinsic motivation of participating societal stakeholders to engage in TDR by pairing Self Determination Theory with Poggis conceptual analysis of enthusiasm . We argue that the quality of collaboration between academic and other societal stakeholders is reflected by the latters enthusiasm to participate and that this supports the co creation of outputs that societal stakeholders can put into practice . Two smallholder dairy farmer groups in Nakuru County Kenya reflected on their engagement in a collaborative learning process that started in 2013 . The goal of the collaboration was to co develop contextualized innovations . We found that giving more voice and increasing representation and power of farmers in the research process sparked their enthusiasm while a sense of progress and success sustained it . The strengthened sense of autonomy competence and relatedness associated with intrinsic motivation helped participants invest in co creating research outputs that have direct effects on their production systems . Especially for agricultural research for development spanning between Global North and Global South contexts sensitivity to encouraging participants intrinsic motivation can contribute towards decolonizing research methodologies and shifting more power towards the societal stakeholders that these projects are meant to serve . We conclude that assessing participants intrinsic motivation and enthusiasm helps to determine the quality of collaboration . A possible implication could also be the differentiation between methodological approaches employed in TDR that deeply engage societal stakeholders for knowledge integration and co production and those that do so only at a superficial level . | Assessing quality of collaboration strengthens the TDR process and outcomes. Methods used in TDR should enhance the enthusiasm of societal stakeholders to actively engage in the collaboration. Satisfying societal stakeholders needs for autonomy competence and relatedness is critical. Active engagement increases the ability of societal stakeholders to address sustainability challenges and to enact change. Fostering intrinsic motivation for engagement broadens societal impacts. |
S1462901119303843 | This study contributes to the ongoing discussion on how to attribute and evaluate the contribution of transdisciplinary research to sustainable development . As co created knowledge is a key product of transdisciplinary research we tested the hypothesis that the extent to which this knowledge is utilized beyond the project consortia in different areas from scientific methods and insights to policy decisions and across a continuum of geographical scales can be used to identify potential impact pathways . For this purpose we developed an analytical framework that links the transdisciplinary process to six possible utilization stages which we used as indicators of the usability of co created knowledge . We gathered data from 22 research projects active in 36 countries using a survey and semi structured interviews . Our results show that even during implementation of the projects co created knowledge is utilized by multiple actors at different stages in all areas and at all scales simultaneously suggesting multiple impact pathways . Project knowledge is predominantly utilized for national level policymaking and research partners named | Non linear stages of knowledge utilization are useful indicators for impact pathways from transdisciplinary research. It is possible to assess non linear stages of utilization of knowledge from early stages of transdisciplinary research. Co created knowledge is used simultaneously in science and policy making and in a continuum of geographic scales. We found preliminary evidence about the process of co creation of knowledge as empowerment tool. |
S1462901119303971 | Participation of relevant stakeholders knowledge integration responsive and emergent design and effective boundary management are four key features of transdisciplinary research . These features pose significant challenges to both undertaking TDR and evaluating its societal impact . We argue that TDRs context specificity and complexity warrant an evaluation approach that supports the coordinating team in developing these key features . In light of this this article aims to reconcile two distinct foci of TDR evaluation namely supporting transdisciplinary capacity building and impact evaluation . We share the results from a combined approach in which the authors acted both as facilitators and evaluators of a TDR project to conduct an embedded formative evaluation . Our findings show that the approach allowed for better access to the participants and sensitivity to their perspectives on impact and for enhanced understanding of complex internal and external project dynamics and how these shaped the project . This resulted in a meaningful assessment of TDRs societal impacts and enabled attributing these to specific process elements . Moreover the approach supported the coordinating TDR teams capacities for developing key TDR features . Four TDR capacities were identified | Impact assessment and transdisciplinary capacity building were combined in one evaluation study. The two evaluation foci worked complementary and enhanced access and understanding of the project. Transdisciplinary research impacts were identified and attributed to the research process. The project team built transdisciplinary capacities which advanced the projects quality. |
S1462901119303995 | Transdisciplinary research seeks to address real world problems and aims to be socially transformative . This normative objective extends beyond particular TDR projects as real world problems are embedded in concrete contexts but at the same time are also related to wider societal challenges that are not restricted to one context . Therefore TDR generally entails transfer of knowledge and results to other contexts . However the TDR discourse has mainly treated transfer efforts from the perspective of scientific generalization translation and packaging of knowledge . Within this understanding of transfer little attention has been paid to interplay between contexts and the role of new contexts themselves . | Transfer to other contexts is usually an objective of transdisciplinary research to provide sustainability transformations. Transfer is a complex process in which different types of knowledge are mediated to other contexts in various ways. Actors in pick up contexts also bear responsibility for successful transfer and appropriation. Transfer to other contexts can be steered only to a limited extent but it can be approached systematically. Generating transfer potential for knowledge and result depends on being aware of potential pick up contexts. |
S1462901119304319 | The majority of global emissions scenarios compatible with holding global warming to less than 2C depend on the large scale use of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage to compensate for an overshoot of atmospheric CO | There is a strong tendency to view IAMs as providing objective analysis. Largescale reliance of IAM scenarios on CDR is problematic for a number of reasons. Dependence on CDR is being baked into emissions targets without a public debate. Polarisation on CDR could hinder progress on CDR and alternative strategies. Approaches to allow diversity in value sets in climate policy making is essential. |
S1462901119304666 | There has been a rise in environmental collaboratives as a form of watershed governance . These collaboratives depend on a diversity of organizations acting collectively by pooling their resources yet little information exists as to why organizations decide to become involved in these initiatives . This study attempts to identify why organizations involved in watershed partnerships decide to participate by assessing external and internal motivations . We used Q method to survey 38 representatives from 32 organizations currently participating by investing time or resources in these partnerships in the Intermountain Western United States . Factor analysis revealed six distinct perspectives organizations hold that influence their decision to participate . Our findings differ from the broader environmental management literature in that internal motivations played a much larger role in organizations motivations for participation . Specific categories of internal motivations that were important included 1 Environmental Mission 2 Environmental Leadership and 3 Wildfire Information . Results suggest that diverse strategies are needed to engage potential partner organizations in watershed collaboratives . | Analysis revealed six distinct perspectives that drive organizations to participate. The first perspective Environmental Mission explains 48 of the study variance. Internal motivations play a stronger role in participation than external pressures. Knowledge about motivations can aid future watershed partnerships. |
S1462901119304721 | How to tackle uncertainties and ensure quality in integrated assessment for sustainability To what extent does the choice of the methodology condition the narrative produced by the analysis The present work argues that the two questions are tightly coupled . The technique is never neutral . If we are the tools of our tools as suggested by Thoreau then it can also be said that language is not only a vehicle for communication it is the driver as well . For this reason in sustainability assessment it is not unusual to discern a close relationship between arguments made and methods adopted . In the present work a set of six reflexive analytical tools we call them lenses is suggested which could be pooled to the effect to appraise and improve the quality of integrated assessment and the resulting sustainability narratives and to alleviate the constraints of the method argument dependency . None of the lenses is new and each has been used before . Never have they been used together . The lenses are Post normal science Controversy studies Sensitivity auditing Bioeconomics Ethics of science for governance and Non Ricardian economics . The six lenses are illustrated together with a set of case narratives arguments . The lenses allow some narratives or methodologies to be shown as either implausible or inadequate and new narratives to be developed to tackle pressing sustainability issues which expand the horizon of possible strategies for a solution . | The choice of the methodology conditions the narrative produced by an analysis. For this reason a broad canvass of approaches is advisable when tackling complex and conflicted topics. Pooled methodologies are proposed here to tackle uncertainties and ensure quality in sustainability integrated assessment. We combine six lenses and illustrate their applications both in isolation and combined. The lenses are i Post normal science PNS ii Controversy studies iii Sensitivity auditing iv Bioeconomics v Ethics of science for governance and vi Non Ricardian economics. |
S1462901119304848 | Increased social and environmental vulnerability to extreme climatic events and inherent aggravation of environmental and social problems has placed climate change adaptation as an urgent challenge for decision makers . Understanding and using climate change information to advance the implementation of climate friendly policies further compounds this challenge . A rich scholarly literature focusing on climate change adaptation endorses that investing in mechanisms that narrow the gap between climate change information production and its use is crucial to increase adaptive capacity . Based on this assumption this paper investigates the extent to which two collaborative projects that functioned as boundary organisations in Brazil and Australia increased access to information and enabled the continual and continuous usefulness of produced knowledge for climate change adaptation . Considering the distinction between usable and useful information we applied six criteria to guide the data analysis and extract key lessons from each project . Our findings confirm that face to face interactions are more likely to result in research having the societal impact that is being increasingly required by research and funding bodies . Our findings also indicate that two key systemic changes are critical for the long term influence of boundary organisations for advancing climate change adaptation . These include changes to the science knowledge production process and shift in the political culture . | There is a distinction between usable and useful knowledge for climate change adaptation. There are challenges to ensure boundary organisations have long lasting impacts. Two systemic changes are proposed to advance knowledge usefulness. |
S146290111930509X | In view of a continuing global decrease of forest cover many authors mention forest governance as a basic concept contributing to reduced deforestation specifically in the tropics . There are numerous definitions for forest governance . The concept is commonly understood as a broad approach and assessment tools comprise dozens of indicators . However there is no information about relations between single indicators their individual importance and whether contextual factors modify their effects . This article aims to analyze if the hypothesized relation between governance leading to reduced tropical deforestation in general holds true to identify the most decisive governance components and to explore if the wider socio economic and political context influences potential governance effects . The structure agency concept is used as theoretical basis to identify underlying mechanisms and as conceptual basis for discussing individual indicators . We employ a quantitative literature review based on scientific articles on governance and deforestation . From a total of 810 articles we select the most frequently cited publications related to the subject . From the resulting 198 papers only those are studied that contain empirical relations between governance and deforestation . The remaining 28 studies are analyzed by applying the governance indicators of the World Resource Institute as categories for content analysis . Likert scores are used to quantify governance effects as input for subsequent principal component analysis and multiple linear regressions . Results show that indeed high governance scores frequently relate to lower rates of deforestation and we thus recommend continued political support for the concept . But the reviewed studies mostly focus on a smaller number of classical governance indicators which suggests that the governance concept might benefit from streamlining into a more targeted approach . In this respect several indicators were related to underlying principal components reflecting the agency and structure concept . Even though we can not claim a statistically significant stronger effect of one or the other component single structural indicators were more strongly and more consistently linked to reduced deforestation in comparison to agency related indicators . The concept can thus be helpful to guide policy design and implementation . We show this by applying it to the ongoing discussion on results based payments under REDD as a prominent example for agency related measures . The reviewed literature in addition suggests that governance effects are moderated by deforestation drivers such as corruption illegal logging and population growth and by interventions like technology transfer . | High scores for forest governance were frequently related to reduced tropical deforestation. Revision of governance frameworks would be beneficial as some indicators were hardly applied others were interrelated. The structure agency concept can help to structure the numerous governance indicators. Governance was moderated by context factors like corruption population and technology. Results are based on a content analysis of 28 most frequently cited papers. |
S1462901119305209 | One of the greatest challenges humanity faces is feeding the worlds human population in a sustainable nutritious equitable and ethical way under a changing climate . Urgent transformations are needed that allow farmers to adapt and develop while also being climate resilient and contributing minimal emissions . This paper identifies several illustrative adaptation and development pathways recognising the variety of starting points of different types of farmers and the ways their activities intersect with global trends such as population growth climate change rapid urbanisation dietary changes competing land uses and the emergence of new technologies . The feasibility of some pathways depends on factors such as farm size and land consolidation . For other pathways particular infrastructure technology access to credit and market access or collective action are required . The most viable pathway for some farmers may be to exit agriculture altogether which itself requires careful management and planning . While technology offers hope and opportunity as a disruptor it also risks maladaptations and can create tradeoffs and exacerbate inequalities especially in the context of an uncertain future . For both the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2015 Paris Agreement to be achieved a mix of levers that combine policy technology education and awareness raising dietary shifts and financial economic mechanisms is required attending to multiple time dimensions to assist farmers along different pathways . Vulnerable groups such as women and the youth must not be left behind . Overall strong good governance is needed at multiple levels combining top down and bottom up processes . | Business as usual agriculture is not an option for the future. Different types of farmers need different adaptation and development options. Many current farmers are likely to exit agriculture. Disruptors can change trajectories and accelerate transformation. Good governance is critical to support low carbon food security. |
S1462901119305349 | The EU has developed a Directive on Sustainable Use of Chemical Pesticides that aims to enhance the use of non chemical alternatives to pesticides like microbial plant protection products . The number of authorized microbial PPP for plant protection has increased globally during the last decade . There is however variation between different countries . Sweden and Denmark have for example each authorized 20 microbial PPP while Norway has only authorized four microbial PPP . Norway has also received significantly fewer applications for authorization of microbial PPP than the other Scandinavian countries . We explore possible explanations for the observed differences . Our results show that that the regulations in the three countries had similar requirements for the authorisation of microbial PPP . The size of the market is somewhat smaller in Norway than in Sweden and Denmark and could therefore explain some of the differences . We suggest however that the most important explanation is implementation differences in terms of different decisions made in the authorization process . By comparing the authorization process for three microbial PPP in the Scandinavian countries we found that Norway used more time for the product authorization decisions . Norway assess the same types of microbial PPP more restrictively with respect to environmental aspects and especially human health risks . | Sweden and Denmark have each authorized 20 microbial plant protection products while Norway have only authorized four. The paper explore possible explanations for these differences. Regulatory and market differences could explain some of the differences. The most important explanation are different safety judgments made in the authorization process. |
S1462901119305519 | Future climate scenarios predict significant changes in the availability of water resources at global and regional scales . Knowledge of the possible economic consequences of this are limited by a shortage of data linking economic activity with physical water use . Matching a unique premise level dataset to economic indicators at industrial sector level this paper undertakes a decomposition of changes in industrial water demand for Scotland between 2012 and 2016 . Results highlight the importance of taking a sectoral approach as changes in sectoral water intensity are significant . Furthermore changes in the structure of the economy i.e . a move away from water intensive industries highlight further reductions in overall water consumption . By considering future scenarios for Scottish water resources this paper identifies key multi disciplinary research challenges to address the major obstacles in developing a climate ready water policy which also captures the potential economic opportunities for Scotland from an awareness of the role of water in the economy . | We decompose changes in industrial water demand in Scotland between 2012 and 2016. Changes in sectoral water intensity a key factor explaining fall in water demand. Role of electricity generation policies aimed at encouraging renewables important. Future changes in water availability demand and technologies important to examine. |
S1462901119305684 | Decision makers face a particular challenge in planning for climate adaptation . The complexity of climate change s likely impacts such as increased flooding has widened the scope of information necessary to take action . This is particularly the case in valuable low lying coastal regions which host many competing interests and where there is a growing need to draw from varied fields in the risk based management of flooding . The rising scrutiny over science s ability to match expectations of policy actors has called for the integration of stakeholder and scientific knowledge domains . Focusing on the Broads the United Kingdom s largest protected wetland this study looked to assess future flood risk and consider potential adaptation responses in a collaborative approach . Interviews and surveys with local stakeholders accompanied the development of a hydraulic model in an iterative participatory design centred on a scientist stakeholder workshop . Knowledge and perspectives were shared on processes driving risk in the Broads as well as on the implications of adaptation measures allowing for their prioritisation . The research outcomes highlight not only the challenges that scientist stakeholder integrated assessments of future flood risk face but also their potential to lead to the production of useful information for decision making . | An integrated assessment of future flood risk and adaptation was carried out in the UKs largest protected coastal wetland. An iterative stakeholder engagement process guided the design of a hydraulic model and adaptation scenarios. High interest was shown in increasing flood storage or setting up a tidal barrier as opposed to raising flood defences. Changes made to the model as a result of the participatory activities helped provide relevant outputs for decision making. |
S1462901119305799 | The relationships among social capital and collective actions for nature conservation and management were analyzed across five case studies characterised by specific land use dynamics in the South American continent . Data on SC and CA were obtained through a semi structured questionnaire to groups of selected social actors . Multivariate statistical analysis was used to identify SC components and to evaluate SC across actors and cases . The results reaffirm that i the multidimensional nature and complexity of SC ii Higher levels of SC are related to higher levels of CA iii social actors with developed internal and external SC can better counter adverse conditions through CA compared to actors who only have one type of SC iv vulnerable social actors do not necessarily have a higher SC or engage in more CA despite their higher dependence on natural resources v those who hold more power or influence in the territory have higher levels of SC and CA vi vulnerable actors often carry out civil community economic and judicial actions while dominant and structuring actors carry out more educational technical and political actions . Therefore the formation and maintenance of SC of the most vulnerable actors and those who support them must be a priority for political action in order to counteract the asymmetric power relations that lead to the exclusion and marginalization of many rural actors . | We explored social capital SC and collective actions CA links. Higher levels of SC are related to higher levels of CA. Vulnerable actors do not necessarily have a higher SC or engage in more CA. Actor with more power in the territory have higher levels of SC and CA. Vulnerable actors often perform civil economic and judicial actions while dominant actors technical and political actions. |
S1462901119306197 | Social ecological system promoting sustainable management of natural resources in common ownership are steered by a complex governance system that includes regulations through laws and policies and management by administrative authorities operating across multi level institutional structures that in turn are shaped by stakeholder interests . In addition the long term progress of natural resource management not only relies upon the existence of a well structured and functional governance system but needs that system to adaptably facilitate sustainable resource management in line with current knowledge and best practices . | Free roaming sheep during summer forms the traditional rangeland grazing system in Iceland. Many of the grazed rangelands are in a degraded even eroded ecological condition. The agricultural and the environmental sectors have different perceptions on what constitutes as SLM. The vertical and horizontal dimensions of the rangelands SES are not fully integrated. The SES of rangelands is not managed through adaptive governance processes. |
S1462901119306410 | Global fashion represents one of the most economically relevant contemporary industrial activity but is fraught with sustainability problems . As a response the fashion industry has turned its attention towards environmentally sustainable innovation . In many cases such innovations require collaborative development which by its turn highlight various difficulties associated with stakeholder collaboration . This study contributes to the literature on sustainable innovation by describing established processes for developing green environmentally sustainable innovations in a collaborative manner . Specifically it intends to understand how drivers and inhibitors for stakeholder integration are disordered and reorganized in different situations creating examples of systems that link interorganizational elements and events . We combine a large scale systematic literature review with two case studies . Drivers and inhibitors of stakeholder collaboration from previous literature were identified and critically assessed in the case studies which allowed us to reorganize the previous findings from the literature using insights from the case studies . The results point out that the main drivers are related to external and competitive environment pressures search for competitive advantage and joint development of resources and capabilities . | Joint development of resources and capabilities compatible values and investment capacity drive stakeholder collaboration. Search for competitive advantage and pressures from external and competitive environment drive the start of collaboration. Lack of resources and initial costs are the main inhibitors. Collaboration among stakeholders depends on the project articulator governance capacity. |
S1462901119306677 | Sustainable management of natural resources under economic environmental and social perspective needs to consider a fair balance between its uses and availability . Sustainable agriculture goal is to establish innovative and new farm tools and service capacities that help the intensive farm sector to optimize input management and productivity . The main objective of this paper was to investigate in a durum wheat production system in central Italy under Mediterranean conditions the following aspects environmental sustainability of fertilization treatments through the energy inputs outputs analysis and reduction of Nitrate N NO | The Water Energy Food WEF nexus has been suited as a sustainability assessment tool at farm level to assess agro economic and environmental performance. WEF is a very helpful tool to investigate the global sustainability of the agricultural systems. Regulatory and economic instruments i.e. agro climatic environmental payments are not enough to solve a conflict between economy and environment. New policy instruments should consider the multisectoral approach also at farm dimension to achieve agriculture sustainability goals. |
S1462901119306690 | Nature based measures understood here as measures such as floodplain restoration that use ecosystem processes to meet societal challenges are increasingly advocated as promising solutions for managing flood risks . A suitable instrument to implement NBMs are flood risk management plans stipulated by the EU Floods Directive . While prior research suggests several governance challenges for NBM uptake in FRMPs little is known so far regarding the actual extent of NBM uptake and its role in decision making of flood risk management . Germany with a coherent water policy framework but state specific implementation conditions provides a suitable case study for exploring the decision making practices that are used in the planning process for FRMPs by German federal states with different water governance characteristics . The aim of this study is to analyze the actual uptake of NBMs in German FRMPs and to explore potential factors of the FRMP preparation and decision making practices explaining this uptake . Our explorative research design is based on a document analysis method which assesses the contents of FRMPs of three German federal states . | Paper focuses on nature based measures NBM in flood risk management plans FRMPs . Actual uptake of NBM in three German states is assessed via document analysis. NBM uptake in FRMPs is generally low with divergence across states. Uptake relates positively to stream order low flood risks and expected benefits. Uptake could be enhanced by use of best available data and participatory methods. |
S1462901119306835 | The environmental behaviour of tourists in tourism activities is the result of the interaction of human and environment . Previous research on tourists environmental behaviour has given more attention to tourists human factors including their individual psychological factors . However the environment factors have not received much attention in the research especially the influence of the situational factors of tourist destinations on tourists environmental behaviour . Public environmental facilities is an important part of tourist destinations and the main situational factor . Furthermore previous studies on tourists environmental behaviours have focused more on environmentally responsible behaviours which often has a positive impact on the environment . However environmentally disturbing behaviours which often has a negative impact on the environment has not been fully examined in previous studies . Based on the theory of planned behaviour this research conducted a questionnaire survey to 534 tourists to explore the impact of PEF on tourists EDB using the structural equation model and multi group analysis method . The first finding was that tourists attitudes and subjective norms have significant negative effects on their environmentally disturbing behavioural intentions . Perceived behavioural control has a significant negative impact on EDBI and EDB . Additionally there is a significant positive impact of EDBI on EDB . Second PEF in the tourist destination plays a negative role in moderating the relationship between tourists EDBI and EDB that is PEF are hygiene factors for tourists environmental behaviour . Study results suggest management policies for public environmental facilities in tourist destinations and highlight the importance of tourists psychological factors on long term sustainability of tourist destinations . | We introduced public environmental facilities to environmental behaviour research. Tourists psychological factors can influence their environmental behaviour. Public environmental facilities are hygiene factors for environmental behaviour. |
S1462901119306872 | Habitat banking has gained traction in recent years as a means to compensate for the unavoidable environmental impacts of development projects through the exchange of so called biodiversity offsets . Analyses of the ideological foundations and operational challenges of habitat banking exist but there has been far less scholarship on the policy processes leading to the establishment of such schemes . Habitat banking is a controversial policy instrument which has encountered opponents and proponents in most places where it has been implemented . Drawing on semi structured interviews and participant observation conducted from 2014 to 2018 we analyse the development of habitat banking policy in Spain . We show who was included or excluded from the policy making process and we highlight the arguments put forward by different actors to contest or support habitat banking more generally . We show that the process was opaque and non inclusive driven by a small constituency of actors who sought to create investment opportunities for biodiversity conservation on private lands and was grounded on a false social consensus which concealed alternative understandings of how environmental impacts should be addressed . We also demonstrate that the current delay in producing the guidelines can be explained by three circumstances . First habitat banking was challenged by many civil society groups on the grounds of its market based character . Second necessary data was not available or accurate enough to devise effective habitat banks with ecological metrics involved in quantifying offsets seen as too subjective . And third key implementation actors lacked capacity and political will . The Spanish standstill highlights the struggles and difficulties that even well resourced states can face when establishing rules for habitat banking and the trade in biodiversity offsets . | The legal grounding for habitat banking in Spain is well established in national legislation. Developing the guidelines for habitat banking implementation has been a haphazard process with few actors involved and currently at a standstill. Habitat banking has been challenged by many civil society groups on the grounds of its market based approach and complicated procedures. Habitat banking might be difficult to implement given the lack of ecological data technical skills and political willingness. The Spanish case illustrates that even well resourced states can fail to implement market based conservation. |
S1462901119306902 | Current environmental research focuses extensively on pharmaceutical waste demonstrating the contamination caused by active pharmaceutical ingredients . Regulations and programs to evaluate prevent and reduce environmental risks linked to human medicines are currently being developed in various countries . We assessed the Romanian legislation to identify the potential areas of development of environmental protection policies in the pharmaceutical field . Laws and regulations of interest were selected and their relevant provisions were analysed using methods of legal interpretation then corelated with their equivalent in more developed countries . Romanian legislation requires an evaluation of the environmental impact of human medicines an assessment of non clinical research and pharmaceutical manufacturing projects appropriate management of pharmaceutical waste and its disposal on a contract basis and the collection and disposal of expired or unused medicines by pharmacies . In practice however a coherent system for pharmaceutical waste management is lacking because of many legal loopholes in environmental protection . Romanian legislation does not include specific rules regarding sound environmental practice for clinical research laboratories pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesale distributors . The pharmaceutical industry has no legal responsibility to manage and dispose expired or unused medicines collected from the population . Equitable sharing of environmental responsibility by the pharmaceutical industry actors along with the involvement of public authorities should be established via legislation and regulation that reflect the requirements mandated by other more advanced countries . Additionally continuous training programs should be provided for practitioners to reinforce their role in the rational use of medicines and professional campaigns should be created to raise public awareness about preventing environmental contamination . | Romania needs specific regulations to create a coherent pharmaceutical waste management system. Good research practice rules should prevent marketing authorisation of human medicines with environmental risk. Good manufacturing and distribution practice rules should establish preventive and corrective environmental obligations. Good pharmacy practice rules should lead to a standardized practice for the collection and disposal of unused medicines. All pharmaceutical enterprises should have a legal responsibility for the disposal of waste resulted from human medicines. |
S1462901119307117 | Environmental governance challenges often span geographic and sectoral boundaries requiring collaboration between diverse stakeholders and multilateral decision making . To facilitate such efforts policymakers and public managers create and support platforms that provide a structured framework for promoting collaborative governance . As the collaborative platform model is often centrally initiated e.g . when state or national actors create a system of local collaborative resource management platforms cross case comparison is particularly important for understanding how a common design leads to variance in procedures and outputs in local contexts . Many collaborative platforms leave a paper trail of documents such as meeting records and plans . This analysis compares 10 identically designed and simultaneously initiated regional water planning platforms in the State of Georgia . Drawing on 106 meeting reports we apply topic modeling to these meeting documents to generate replicable and scalable measures of how participant actions and interest representation unfold over time . Specifically we measure topical focus on water planning issues over time and compare these process phase measures between councils and against the content of the resulting plan developed by each planning council . While existing literature has focused on how institutional design features such as representation and decision rules shape procedural outcomes and outputs we observe considerable variation in procedural behavior and plan outputs despite the fact that all 10 platforms share a common design . The consulting firm selected to direct each local platform is shown to be associated with both the topical focus of each regions planning discussion and the BMPs selected in regional plans . This comports with recent evidence pointing to the important and largely overlooked role that technical consultants play in environmental governance and regulatory processes . | Collaborative platforms leave a paper trail of documents to be analyzed. Topic modeling can trace patterns of deliberation in collaborative governance. A common collaborative platform design can beget widely different processes. Consultants play a key role in shaping collaborative governance processes and outputs |
S1462901119307245 | Environmental policies that aim to enhance nature conservation biodiversity and well being of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities rely on knowledge integration and co production processes that include both science and Indigenous and local knowledge systems . While these processes are expected to safeguard the diversity of knowledge systems uneven power relations among participants often prevent them from achieving this which can affect the legitimacy and usability of the outcomes of these processes . Using a case study in the Acre state where policy practitioners implemented the REDD policy System of Incentives for Ecosystem Services in the Brazilian Kaxinaw Nova Olinda Indigenous Land we investigate how participants manage challenges to safeguard knowledge diversity and usability during policy assessment and planning . Our findings show how despite the use of participatory approaches knowledge diversity ended up being compromised because policy practitioners were insufficiently attentive to power asymmetries and their implications . This however did not negatively affect the usability of the knowledge outcomes . Rather than focusing on the perfection of participatory methods we call for a practical ethics that relies on culturally and ethically sensitive dialogues and that include continuous reflection . Such reflection will enable adaptation and improvisation to be able to respond to emerging power dynamics in an adequate and timely manner thereby ensuring both the legitimacy and the usability of the outcomes of knowledge integration and co production . | The analysis offers a detailed case study of knowledge integration and co production that involves scientific and Indigenous knowledge. The ethnoecological approach used recognizes that knowledge is entangled with practices and worldviews. Uneven power relations and dichotomies between knowledge systems form a challenge for co production processes. Knowledge outcomes are seen as legitimate and usable if they include terms and meanings that their users recognize. Practical ethics continuous reflection and adaptation and bricolage are paramount in guiding knowledge integration and co production. |
S1462901119307269 | Climate change has reduced the snow cover in the Swiss Alps negatively impacting the winter tourist sector . The adaptation of artificial or technical snow as a solution to combat a decline in tourism is pervasive yet controversial . This paper uses Q methodology to analyse the perspectives of stakeholders in relation to artificial snow production with regard to the three pillars of sustainable development . While all stakeholders agreed that there are ecological constraints to socioeconomic development three distinct perspectives were identified . Perspective 1 prioritizes the environment not accepting ecological compromises for socioeconomic development . Perspective 2 is more willing to accept trade offs focusing on economic diversification and long term strategies . Perspective 3 focuses on the economy with a preference for the status quo . The ecological awareness of all stakeholders provides a promising basis for sustainable development . However the diverse views on priority setting present nontrivial obstacles towards devising future strategies for sustainable development . | Three distinct groups are identified amongst diverse cross sector stakeholders based on their specific social perspectives. Q methodology revealed broad value consensus even among divergent stakeholders. Consensus finding is hindered by polarized stakeholder views on tourism development. Relying solely on snowmaking as a climate change adaptation strategy is unsustainable. Nuances in stakeholder attitudes and value systems may undermine climate change adaptation if not fully recognized. |
S146290111930735X | Boundary spanning the practice of facilitating knowledge exchange to address complex sustainability challenges has the potential to align research and policymaking and increase the uptake of research in decision making . But the goals methods and outcomes of boundary spanning activities in the environment sector can be difficult to describe missing an opportunity to share lessons learned and improve as a community of practice . This paper describes boundary spanning activities to integrate research about environmental sustainability with federal ocean policy dialogues in the U.S. We describe the process of organizing facilitating and learning from a series of meetings in which five interdisciplinary researchers engaged with federal ocean policy audiences . While the longer term impacts of the activities associated with these meetings are subtle and remain difficult to detect more immediate outcomes are observable . These include new professional relationships among researchers and policy staff reported relevance of the research to general policy discourse and a narrative that frames the opportunity for policymakers to learn from past industrialization on land as they manage an emerging industrial revolution in the ocean . By presenting the process and outcomes of our boundary spanning activities we aim to stimulate timely debate within ocean policy management and research communities about the importance of multiple benefits provided by healthy and intact ocean ecosystems and how to protect them in the face of the expanding industrialization of the ocean . | Boundary spanning can facilitate knowledge exchange address complex sustainability challenges and align research and policy making. We describe boundary spanning goals activities and outcomes to integrate research about sustainability with U.S. ocean policy dialogues. Boundary spanning grew a science policy network enhanced the relevance of research and increased researchers capacity to engage with policy. We present a narrative about an emerging industrial revolution in the ocean that frames policy thought and action. |
S1462901119307506 | The coastal risk assessment has important implications for policy development resilience enhancement and risk reduction to reduce the magnitude and likelihood of future losses to coastal hazards . However few if any existing in practice CRA approaches account for the effects of coastal natural habitats which shield communities from natural hazards and support resilience enhancement in coastal regions . Here we use a coupled human nature system based CRA framework to provide evidence on the influence of CNHs on coastal storm risk levels and spatial distributions . We calculate a risk index for each coastal county along the U.S. Atlantic coast and employ different spatial assessment approaches to systematically analyse the risk . This index incorporates several bio geo physical variables and data on socio ecological systems . The index is calculated under two CNH scenarios and is further used for mapping the at risk population . We find that the without habitat scenario overestimates the population in the highest risk category by 10 and the number of counties by as much as 40 as compared to the with habitat scenariomostly in the Gulf region . Also the without habitat scenario miscalculates the spatial distribution of the risk . These findings highlight the role of CNHs to provide defensive services and the importance of incorporating CNHs into the risk assessment process . While the CNHs inclusive risk results are important for coastal risk reduction through prioritization and smart resource allocation the well evident influence of CNHs on risk level and its distribution is also supportive for conservationists to stress the policies relevant to the protection and restoration of coastal natural systems owing to their multiple services . | This study advances the in practice traditional CRA frameworks through the incorporation of CNHs into risk assessment. Empirical evidence on the influence of CNHs on risk level and its spatial patterns is provided. The results show significant difference in risk level and its geographical distribution under the two scenarios. The CNHs exclusive CRA overestimates the population in the highest risk category by 10 and number of counties by 40 . The findings highlight the importance of CNHs and the need of incorporating CNHs into CRA. |
S1462901119307555 | Calls for societal transformations in response to climate change and unsustainable trajectories are surging in scientific journals political proposals and news media . The multifaceted usages of the concept of transformation creates challenges for scientific assessments such as those of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services as well as for the implementation of the Paris Agreement process the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development the EUs long term climate strategy the European Green Deal and other political decisions . In this paper we suggest an analytical framework to differentiate between how sustainability transformations are made sense of in terms of system level pace and scope . We distinguish between four general modes of transformations quantum leap convergent emergent and gradual approaches . We also discuss how they can be used to make sense of interventions to foster major sustainability transformations . We expand on three examples of interventions that were pertinent in our cross country studies technological innovations transformative learning and the formulation of new narratives of sustainable societies . | Calls for societal transformations to sustainability surge in science and policy. Our transformation typology differentiates between system level pace and scope. We identify 4 modes of transformation quantum leap convergent emergent and gradual. Innovations learning and new narratives are key interventions for transformations. Conceptualizing variations in societal transformations towards sustainability. |
S1462901119307816 | A central challenge facing the study the environmental governance is the lack of commonunderstanding of important concepts . Critical concepts such as social boundaries property rights and resource dependence are selected and measured inconsistently across research projects and field settings producing results that are difficult to compare . This stymies the accumulation of scientific evidence regarding the most effective ways to address challenging environmental problems . As members of the Social ecological systems meta analysis database project we have addressed this challenge by developing a repository of variables associated with many of the most important concepts across a range of fields related to environmental governance . In this paper we describe the infrastructure behind the repository the range of variables it includes and how it can enable scholars across a range of fields to more systematically select and measure the variables to include in their analyses . | Inconsistencies in variable selection and measurement limit social ecological studies. These limitations relate to a suite of methodological challenges. A new variables repository helps users diagnose and measure key factors. Through this resource more comparable research can be done across cases. |
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