 Subjects -> CONSERVATION (Total: 128 journals)
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- Quantitative assessment of urban sustainability perceptions in Lurin, Peru
Abstract: One Ecosystem 9: e118668
DOI : 10.3897/oneeco.9.e118668
Authors : Ruth Ojeda-Zaga, Vinicio Moya-Almeida, Natalia Alvarado-Arias, Diana Zuleta-Mediavilla : In the current context, urban centres in Latin America are facing fundamental challenges in their endeavour for Sustainable Development. The focus of this study is the meticulous assessment of the perception of urban sustainability within the Lurín District of Peru. It introduces a system based on urban sustainability indicators, derived from social surveys and implements this system through linear regression models to discern their interrelations. The objective of the research is to quantify and evaluate essential elements linked to the management of natural resources, air and water quality, the advancement of sustainable mobility, education and the well-being of urban residents. By delineating these mathematical and statistical correlations amongst variables pertinent to urban sustainability, this study provides a robust framework for quantitative decision-making in the urban sphere. A methodology for the development of univariable and multivariable models has been demonstrated. Amongst the most important findings, it has been discovered that the variable Environmental Education System (SEA) is perceived as the least important and even negligible within the multivariable models. However, we believe this effect occurs because the impacts of education are perceived in the long term. This article contributes significantly to the academic discourse by providing a more nuanced understanding of the social perception of urban sustainability and its influence on policy formulation and decision-making processes in Latin America. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Tue, 6 Aug 2024 15:28:16 +0300
- Analysis of patterns related to wildlife roadkill in the Humid Chaco of
Paraguay
Abstract: One Ecosystem 9: e127214
DOI : 10.3897/oneeco.9.e127214
Authors : José Luis Cartes Yegros, Mariela Santacruz, Diego Gómez, Marcela Ferreira Riveros, Hugo del Castillo, Lorena Sforza, Dolly Rivas, Pier Cacciali : Paved roads are a solution for communication between human societies, but at the same time, their expansion is detrimental to wildlife. In this work, vertebrate mortality events due to traffic collisions on National Route N° 5, in a 50 km stretch from the town of Pozo Colorado to the east, are evaluated. Vehicle journeys were carried out at a constant speed of 40 km/h every two months, from November 2020 to May 2022. All findings of roadkill were recorded by photograph. To analyse spatial patterns, the Kernel density was estimated, assessing the randomness of Ripley's K collisions and standardised roadkill rates were assessed for each species. A total of 272 individuals were recorded, corresponding to 87 amphibians, 38 birds and 35 mammals. In terms of the number of species, the composition was as follows: reptiles with 20 species, birds with 13 species, mammals with 11 and amphibians with at least 12 species. The species with the highest number of dead individuals was the common toad (Rhinella diptycha), followed by snakes. According to the standardised roadkill rates, the most affected animals are Cerdocyon thous, Rhinella diptycha, Caiman yacare and Dryophylax hypoconia with more than 200 individuals per kilometre per year. A bat, Lasiurus ega, was identified for the first time for Paraguay. Climatic conditions seems to have no strong effect on the occurrence pattern of the different taxa, with the exception of birds that decrease with stronger winds. The greatest coincidences occurred in three sections: km 5–5.5, km 33.5–34.5 and km 40–43. There was a correlation with crossroads areas, watercourses and forest islands. In view of the road development policy in the region, it is necessary to carry out studies of its impacts in the longer term. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Mon, 5 Aug 2024 10:15:10 +0300
- A Bayesian Belief Network for assessing ecosystem services and
socio-economic development in threatened estuarine regions
Abstract: One Ecosystem 9: e124989
DOI : 10.3897/oneeco.9.e124989
Authors : Thi Dieu Linh Nguyen, Tuan Tran, Kinh Bac Dang, Thi Tai Thu Do, Ha Dong, Nga Pham Thi Phuong, Thuy Hoang Thi, Tuan Linh Giang : Estuaries feature diverse ecosystems with great biological production and favourable resources and landscapes for ecotourism. Increasing natural disasters have threatened the lives and safety of over 70% of the region's population in recent years. Rapid urbanisation and tourism have changed land use. This changes ecosystem structure and function, impacting service provision. This study developed a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) model to assess the imbalance between socio-economic development and resource conservation using an ecosystem services (ES) approach. The BBN model helps synthesise and exchange information, provide decision-making data, evaluate trade-off possibilities and anticipate future situations when assessing ES. The BBN network model probabilistically evaluates ecosystem services using expertise, statistical modelling, geographic information systems and interviews. We assessed the comprehensive value of 17 forms of ES for four ecosystem groups over a period of 30 years. As a result, the cultural ecosystem services of some estuarial regions in Vietnam have the highest value and are showing an increasing trend, while the regulating ecosystem services are continuously fluctuating and decreasing. Provisioning ecosystem services are stable with small changes. This study also examined ES values in six landscape categories and created two ES change scenarios. The findings can help managers choose land-use and resource exploitation policies, understand the value of ecosystem services at the regional level and develop estuary sustainability strategies for long-term ecosystem service balance. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Thu, 18 Jul 2024 12:45:00 +030
- A GIS methodology for mapping regional and community vitality for Canada
using the CanEcumene 3.0 Geodatabase with census data
Abstract: One Ecosystem 9: e122079
DOI : 10.3897/oneeco.9.e122079
Authors : Brian Eddy : Many ecosystem-based management (EBM) and related applications require integrating geospatial information about socio-economic conditions of human populated areas within a study area. However, integrating socio-economic data in such a way that it can be related to ecological data is challenging due to issues associated with spatial representation between socio-economic and ecological data frameworks. In Canada, this problem is particularly acute given its large geographic size, diversity of environments and highly irregular population distribution. Although several indices have been developed for Canada related to well-being and vulnerability, their suitability for EBM-related applications is limited. This article presents a GIS-based methodology for mapping regional and community vitality index (RVI/CVI) for Canada using standard Census data integrated with the CanEcumene 3.0 Geospatial Database (GDB). The method uses percentile ranks of five sub-indicators of vitality covering population growth, age structure, education, employment and economic wealth. Results reveal a number of notable patterns and trends in socio-economic conditions across the country and across different types of communities and regions. Most notable are decreasing CVI values from economic core regions to rural and remote communities; decreasing scores from high population centres to lower populated areas and lower scores for Indigenous communities when compared with non-Indigenous communities. A series of maps show variation in RVI/CVI values for specific locations with changes over time. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Wed, 26 Jun 2024 12:01:33 +030
- Influence of ENSO and the urban heat island on climate variation in a
growing city of the western Mexico
Abstract: One Ecosystem 9: e125302
DOI : 10.3897/oneeco.9.e125302
Authors : Oyolsi Nájera González, Areli Nájera González, Susana Marceleño Flores, Fernando Flores Vilchez : To understand climate change in the local context, it is necessary to analyse three factors in the territories; 1) how temperature and precipitation have varied over time, 2) if there is an association with the natural variation of the planet, for example with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, and 3) if the variations could be related to human actions that directly alter the climate, such as gas emissions into the atmosphere and deforestation. Understanding how these three factors interact, what impacts they have caused on the territory and how they will behave in future scenarios, allows us to think about development planning strategies that seek to adapt human communities to future climate conditions. This study addresses climate change in the City of Tepic, analysing the interannual variation of temperature and precipitation, its association with the ENSO phenomenon and the possible relationship with the urban heat island, contrasting two time periods; 1980-1999 and 2000-2018. The results showed a generalised increase of +1 ºC between periods, decrease of precipitation up to -6% the summer months and increase up to +20% the autumn months. The influence of ENSO on temperature variation increased from 10% to 20% in the most recent period, and its influence on precipitation variation decreased from 17% to 8%, respectively. On the other hand, the heat island increased its extension by more than 60% and its intensity by about 8 degrees between the periods analysed. The differences between periods are discussed descriptively in relation to the doubling of the area of urban use, population, atmospheric emissions and the loss of 30% of the forests in the areas adjacent to the city. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Mon, 24 Jun 2024 09:36:21 +030
- Increasing uptake of ecosystem service assessments: best practice
check-lists for practitioners in Europe
Abstract: One Ecosystem 9: e120449
DOI : 10.3897/oneeco.9.e120449
Authors : David N. Barton, Bart Immerzeel, Luke Brander, Adrienne Grêt-Regamey, Jarumi Kato Huerta, Conor Kretsch, Solen Le Clech, Paula Rendón, Joana Seguin, Martha Arámbula Coyote, Javier Babí Almenar, Mario Balzan, Benjamin Burkhard, Claudia Carvalho-Santos, Davide Geneletti, Victoria Guisado Goñi, Elias Giannakis, Inge Liekens, Piotr Lupa, Gillian Ryan, Małgorzata Stępniewska, Eszter Tanács, Vince van ‘t Hoff, Franziska Walther, Christos Zoumides, Iwona Zwierzchowska, Ioanna Grammatikopoulou, Miguel Villosalda : Aiming at understanding the role of plural values in decision-making, the IPBES Values Assessment defined nature valuation broadly as including biophysical, economic and socio-cultural assessments, including ecosystem service assessment. IPBES reviews of scientific literature revealed a lack of documentation of uptake by stakeholders across method types. The EU project SELINA aims to contribute to increasing uptake of ES assessments at different governance levels. This paper reviews guidance in national and local applications by compiling study design recommendations for ES assessments from 111 guidance documents on ES assessments covering 12 European languages. Guidance documents are evaluated for seven diagnostic topics suggested to increase relevance and robustness of ES assessments: ecosystem condition variables; capacity-potential; supply-demand; spatial scaling and resolution capability; social and health benefit compatibility; economic valuation compatibility; and uncertainty assessment. The paper develops the guidance recommendations across these topics into a set of checklists for practitioners and contractors of ES assessments. We find synergies between these study design features and gaps in guidance in relation to the policy cycle. Checklists are aimed at projects self-assessing and improving their design and implementation to increase robustness of their ES assessment. From a knowledge supply perspective, this is expected to increase the likelihood of uptake of results by stakeholders. We end the paper with some cautions on limitations to uptake from different perspectives and the demand for and political uses of ES assessment knowledge. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Fri, 14 Jun 2024 09:32:39 +030
- Ecosystem service research in the dry subtropics: Current state, temporal
changes and drivers of regional variability
Abstract: One Ecosystem 9: e118444
DOI : 10.3897/oneeco.9.e118444
Authors : Roxana Aragón, Germán Baldi : Dry subtropical (DST) regions that share similar climatic and topographic conditions exhibit today significant disparities in population density, agricultural intensity, wealth and cultural values. In addition, they are also facing increasing pressures on their natural resources. These attributes collectively shape individuals' varying dependence on natural resources and may influence their perception of ecosystem services (ES). In this study, we conducted a systematic literature review, focusing on the DST regions, to address two main questions: 1) What is the current state, temporal trends and regional variability in scientific research on ES and 2) What are the potential drivers of the variability in ES research' Amongst the 471 publications found in our review, 53% focused on provisioning services, followed nearly equally by cultural (33%) and regulating (30%) services. Only 13% addressed more than one ES category and approximately 33% mentioned economic valuation. Our study reveals that research on ES in the dry subtropics experienced a significant increase from 2005 onwards. Approximately 45% of the publications included the term 'ecosystem service' and its frequency has risen substantially over time. Most publications primarily focus on African dry subtropics (over 60%), followed by South and North American ones. Publications from southern Asia and NE Australia were more scarce. Importantly, we found no clear relationship between the number of publications, publication density or representativeness and the variables used as indicators of human pressure (e.g. population density). Consequently, research efforts in the DST regions appear to be influenced by a diverse range of financial and institutional constraints, international research agendas, as well as the personal interests of researchers, contributing to the idiosyncratic nature of this field. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Wed, 29 May 2024 09:43:52 +030
- Contribution of integrated ecosystem services to urban planning tools: Can
it be more functional for the sustainability of ecosystems'
Abstract: One Ecosystem 9: e121553
DOI : 10.3897/oneeco.9.e121553
Authors : Zeynep Türkay, Azime Tezer : The biodiversity of ecosystems and their services (ecosystem services - ESs) are declining worldwide due to decisions regarding land-use/land-cover (LULC). As a result, global risks related to climate change are exacerbating as these areas are needed to adapt to climate change and mitigate these risks. The integration of ESs into spatial decision-making is seen as an opportunity to ensure their sustainability. Despite the scientific and practical studies on this issue, it is stated that more studies are needed to clarify how ESs will be used in spatial decision-making. The proposed approach as Integrated ESs (IESs), which builds on the LULC assessment, has the potential to develop ESs-based spatial decision-making by enabling comprehensive approaches to be made. This paper aims to evaluate the results of IESs assessment incorporated with scenario analysis in the context of the integration of ESs into spatial decision-making, to discuss the contributions that this integration can make to the sustainability of ESs in light of these results and to provide straightforward suggestions on how ESs can be linked to the spatial planning tools in Istanbul. The findings of the research prove that ESs in many contexts are relevant to various stages of spatial planning and a spatial decision-making approach that incorporates ES knowledge can contribute to ensuring the sustainability of ESs and achieving sustainable development. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Thu, 23 May 2024 09:13:23 +030
- Mapping ecosystem service temporal trends: a case study of European wood
potential, supply and demand between 2008 and 2018
Abstract: One Ecosystem 9: e118263
DOI : 10.3897/oneeco.9.e118263
Authors : Anita Poturalska, Janne Alahuhta, Katja Kangas, Terhi Ala-Hulkko : Wood is one of the key forest Ecosystem Services (ES) of growing ecological, social and economic importance; therefore, we need more precise information about its long-term usage. To achieve this, it is necessary to examine the spatio-temporal aspects of wood ES potential, supply and demand. In this study, we analyse spatio-temporal patterns of wood ES supply and demand at continental, national and regional scales to identify areas of increasing and decreasing supply and demand levels in Europe. In addition, we present background information about the potential of European forests to provide wood ES and its relationship to supply and demand. Our results showed that the overall European wood supply and demand as well as the wood ES potential were characterised by increasing trends. Furthermore, this increase was also regional, particularly in central and northern Europe. This study demonstrates not only the significance of spatio-temporal data in ES mapping, but also the importance of considering a broader range of components of the ES cascade model when assessing change. Our research has shown that potential, supply and demand can all increase in the same area, but also that low supply and demand do not guarantee wood potential growth. In addition, we found that a broad scale assessment helps to identify more general patterns and trends, but analysing data at a more accurate scale provides more comprehensive insights for identifying areas that may require targeted action for sustainable forest management. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Mon, 13 May 2024 15:08:45 +030
- A map of pollinator floral resource habitats in the agricultural landscape
of Central New York
Abstract: One Ecosystem 9: e118634
DOI : 10.3897/oneeco.9.e118634
Authors : Kevin Li, Jonathan Fisher, Alison Power, Aaron Iverson : We created a spatially and temporally-explicit model of floral area in Central New York State, USA, using public data from federal and state governmental agencies and non-governmental organisations. This model incorporates remote sensing-derived natural habitat, crop and land-use data products with roads GIS data to predict land cover indicative of floral resources for pollinators. The resulting dataset provides the necessary land-cover data to quantify floral resources available within a user-specified area (e.g. 2 km radius around the location of a bee hive). When paired with phenological data of species within the communities associated with our land-cover classes, users can predict pollinator floral resources over any specified period in a year. This dataset would be of use to both researchers and practitioners, allowing them to estimate floral resource availability around crops or hive placements. It could also identify habitat restoration to most effectively boost native pollinator populations. We present the methodology for the creation of the spatial dataset and usage information. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Wed, 8 May 2024 14:56:37 +0300
- What we really know about the dormancy, reproduction, germination and
cultivation of charophytes (Characeae)
Abstract: One Ecosystem 9: e117655
DOI : 10.3897/oneeco.9.e117655
Authors : Anja Holzhausen : This expanded review aims to provide information on previous basic research by charophyte experts in the areas of reproduction, dormancy, germination of oospores and cultivation. Therefore, published information, the author’s PhD thesis and further results have been combined to summarise the current state of knowledge for Characeae of permanent and temporary waterbodies. The understanding of evolutionary, systematic and molecular pathways require multidimensional approaches using combined results of morphology, anatomy, physiology, genetics, geobotanics and ecology. The application of zonobioms from geobotanies for performed germination studies resulted in a linkage between environmental conditions and dormancy breakage treatment. Besides this, the combination of environmental logger data and species-specific cultivation knowledge resulted in an optimised in-vitro system that allow the successful gametangia initiation and maturation under artificial laboratory conditions in monoecious diplostichous Chara species. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Tue, 23 Apr 2024 10:25:17 +030
- Bird richness and Ecosystems Services across an urban to natural gradient
in south-eastern Brazil: implications for landscape planning and future
scenarios
Abstract: One Ecosystem 9: e114955
DOI : 10.3897/oneeco.9.e114955
Authors : Bruno Lessi, Davide Geneletti, Chiara Cortinovis, Manoel Dias, Matheus Reis : In natural and altered environments, the Ecosystem Services (ES) provided by the presence of vegetation, especially regulating ES such as climate regulation and air pollutant removal, are essential to improve human health and well-being. In this study, we focused on a tropical-subtropical river basin which covers urban, peri-urban and rural landscape types of a Brazilian municipality located in the ecotone between the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado (Brazilian savannah). The research aimed to assess the current state of ES and bird richness (as a biodiversity indicator) and their relationships across an urban-rural-natural gradient. We assessed the cooling effect (as microclimate regulation indicator), air pollutant removal (PM10), nature-based recreation opportunities and bird richness and analysed the variations associated with a shift in the prevailing land- cover types along a gradient of urbaniszation. The results indicated a higher bird richness in peri-urban and rural landscapes, as well as greater pollutant removal and cooling effect provided by vegetation. However, recreation opportunities provided mainly by human infrastructure were higher inside the urban zone and in some peri-urban areas. The landscape type significantly influenced the availability and intensity of these four variables (p < 0.001). Bird richness, air pollutant removal, and cooling effect were positively correlated (r> 0.539; p ≤ 0.048);, however, a trade-off between them and recreation opportunities (r = -0.59, R2 = 0.348, p < 0.001) was found. We simulated possible scenarios of reforestation actions in urban areas to predict the ES values when vegetation cover area is increased. According to the results, the urban planning and efforts to improve nNature-based solutions in the studied river basin should consider the observed trade-off to promote sustainable nature-based recreation opportunities in places with higher values of ES (cooling effect, air pollutant removal, and bird richness) and/or to increase the ES values in urban landscape through environmental policies, such as reforestation. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Tue, 30 Jan 2024 11:28:38 +020
- CH4 and N2O emissions and their potential control by rice biomass biochar:
The case of continuously flooded paddy fields in Indonesia - A review
Abstract: One Ecosystem 9: e109657
DOI : 10.3897/oneeco.9.e109657
Authors : Bariot Hafif, Kartika Kartika, Enny Randriani, Joko Pitono, Gusmaini Gusmaini, Ridwan Ridwan, Neneng Nurida : Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are the two most important greenhouse gases (GHG) from flooded paddy fields in Indonesia. This review aims to characterise CH4 and N2O emissions from flooded paddy fields by published data analysis and to examine the potential of biochar from rice straw (RSB) and rice husk (RHB) to mitigate the emissions in Indonesia. A comparison of various box-plot datasets of CH4 emissions showed that the different types of flooded paddy field soil cause varying amounts of CH4 emissions from various regions in Indonesia. Sequentially, CH4 emissions of flooded paddy fields from highest to lowest are Alluvial of Kalimantan and Sulawesi, Andisols of Java, Ultisols of Sumatra, Alfisols of Java and Bali and Inceptisols of Java and Bali, with a mean of 1062, 505, 446, 135 and 64 kg ha-1 season-1, respectively. The organic amendments application combined with chemical fertilisers is the principal driver of anthropogenic CH4 emissions from paddy fields. However, N chemical fertiliser application contributes only about 0.37% of the N2O flux, 0.69 kg ha-1 season-1. The produced biochar number was insufficient effectively to reduce CH4 and N2O emissions, at least 20 tonnes ha-1 year-1, in addition to the pyrolysis process to produce biochar, releasing CH4 emissions. Yet, with its recalcitrant properties and continuous application, RSB and RHB potentially reduce CH4 and N2O emissions from paddy fields. HTML XML PDF
PubDate: Tue, 2 Jan 2024 09:25:23 +0200
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