Rethinking assessment of success of mitigation strategies for elephant-induced crop damage

Crop damage is the most common impact of negative interactions between people and elephants and poses a significant threat to rural livelihoods and conservation efforts. Numerous approaches to mitigate and prevent crop damage have been implemented throughout Africa and Asia. Despite the documented high efficacy of many approaches, losses remain common, and in many areas, damage is intensifying. We examined the literature on effectiveness of crop-damage-mitigation strategies and identified key gaps in evaluations. We determined there is a need to better understand existing solutions within affected communities and to extend evaluations of effectiveness beyond measurement of efficacy to include rates of and barriers to adoption. We devised a conceptual framework for evaluating effectiveness that incorporates the need for increased emphasis on adoption and can be used to inform the design of future crop-damage mitigation assessments for elephants and conflict species more widely. The ability to prevent crop loss in practice is affected by both the efficacy of a given approach and rates of uptake among target users. We identified the primary factors that influence uptake as local attitudes, sustainability, and scalability and examined each of these factors in detail. We argue that even moderately efficacious interventions may make significant progress in preventing damage if widely employed and recommend that wherever possible scientists and practitioners engage with communities to build on and strengthen existing solutions and expertise. When new approaches are required, they should align with local attitudes and fit within limitations on labor, financial requirements, and technical capacity.     

农户分化、技术约束与耕地保护技术选择差异——基于不同约束条件下的农户技术采纳理论分析框架

在不完全要素市场和农户分化背景下,探索不同类型农户、耕地保护技术约束与技术选择之间内在行为逻辑,以期为保障我国耕地质量可持续发展提供参考。利用Probit和Logit方法,通过微观数据剖析不同类型农户技术选择意愿、行为逻辑及不同约束条件下的技术选择差异。研究表明：纯农户、I类兼业户和II类兼业户在耕地保护意愿方面具有统一性,但随着非农收入的增加农户耕地保护意愿逐渐降低;在行为逻辑方面,异质性农户耕地保护技术选择上差异显著,不同类型农户的禀赋特征与不同耕地保护技术间存在非对称性和偏差,主要受不同技术属性和风险偏好的约束。因此在耕地保护技术实施与推广应用时,应当更多地考虑不同农户禀赋优势与农户风险偏好程度。     

An assessment of safety climate,job satisfaction and turnover intention relationships using a national sample of workers from the USA

The association between safety climate, job satisfaction and turnover intention has not been thoroughly researched. This research is needed so that safety researchers and practitioners can begin to delineate the impact of safety on organizational and business outcomes. A path analysis was completed using data from a national sample of workers from the USA (n?=?1525). The overall fit of the model was excellent and analyses determined that both training and resource adequacy positively affected safety climate and job satisfaction. Safety climate also positively influenced job satisfaction. Both safety climate and job satisfaction were negatively associated with respondents’ turnover intention. In the study, the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention is reiterated in a sample of workers across many industries. This study is novel because it is one of the first studies to confirm that turnover intention is reduced with increased safety climate in a diverse sample of workers.     

Predicting Satisfaction with Smart Irrigation Controllers and Their Long‐Term Use among Homeowners in Central Florida

Studies throughout Florida have shown smart controllers can substantially reduce irrigation under residential high‐water use conditions. However, successful promotion requires understanding the link between controller performance and the mechanisms by which they are adopted. This article compares irrigation water‐use and survey data collected from households installed with soil moisture sensor and evapotranspiration controllers. The study investigated whether the relative change in irrigation use between two years preceding and two years following installation was a reliable predictor of a homeowner's satisfaction with the device and likelihood of continuing to use it. Results indicated relative changes in irrigation use were only significantly associated with the quality of controller programming. Satisfaction with the controller was largely attributable to satisfaction with the appearance of the landscape and the perceived water‐saving effectiveness of the controller whereas the likelihood of its continued use was only significantly predicted by the level of technical knowledge regarding its functioning and whether or not challenges were experienced with it. Targeting homeowners with supplemental user‐friendly information may best support their long‐term adoption of smart controllers while providing irrigation contractors with training in implementation techniques would represent an integrated strategy for added reductions in residential outdoor water use.     

Does intensity of change matter? Factors affecting adoption of agri-environmental schemes in Spain

Agri-environmental schemes (AES) are the main policy instrument currently available in the EU to promote environmentally-friendly farming practices. However, the rate of adoption of these measures is still relatively low in southern Europe, and understanding how these rates can be increased is still an open issue. The goal of this paper is to increase that understanding by testing whether the factors which determine AES sign-up decisions are influenced by the intensity of change in farming practices that are brought about by adopting the scheme. A micro-economic model reflecting farmer AES sign-up decisions is proposed and applied to two schemes in Spain respectively requiring major or minor intensity of change in practices by surveying farmers eligible for both schemes. The results show that farm structural factors play a role when major practice change is required by the scheme, yet when dealing with minor change, individual farmer characteristics play a more determining role. Social capital and farmer attitude are important factors in both the AES surveyed. Therefore, it may be concluded that improving agronomic design would be an important tool to improve farmer participation in AES where major change is involved, whereas improved targeting and extension would help uptake for AES involving a lesser degree of change.     

公众灾害风险可接受性与避灾意愿的初探——以川渝地区旱灾风险为例

在综述前人研究的基础上,以川渝地区旱灾为例,通过实地调查与访谈,从公众可接受的旱灾损失与频率、假定旱灾风险情景下的避险意愿等角度,对公众旱灾风险可接受性进行了初步探讨。结果表明,公众合理可接受的旱灾损失与频率分别在26.5%~52.8%与32.0%~64.3%区间范围内;并以一般旱灾、严重旱灾风险情景为限制线,确定了公众合理可接受风险区域;随着灾害损失风险增加,公众规避风险投资意愿呈现出中间高两头低的趋势,当灾害损失达到约50%~70%时,公众避险投资意愿达到最高,意愿避险投资占可能损失的比重约为62%。鉴于川渝地区的旱灾形势,今后旱灾风险管理的关键,一是加强对旱灾的监测与预警预报;二是完善旱灾风险的常规化管理,发展高效灌溉农业,充分利用客水资源,完善提高现有农田水网建设;三是积极探索公众-企业-政府多方共同参与的高效风险管理模式。     

Development and Adoption of a Simple Nonpoint Source Pollution Model for Port Phillip Bay,Australia

New computing tools and approaches allow tailored development of software to meet the needs of environmental managers. The processes required for such tailoring fit well with adaptive management concepts where, as knowledge and system understanding develop among managers, the software can be developed or replaced to match. This paper reports on development and adoption of a simple nonpoint source pollution modeling tool, including technical aspects of data support for modeling and social aspects of software design. The software, named FILTER, used a unit load model to generate expected pollutant loads from subcatchments of Port Phillip Bay, Australia. Monitoring data were used for calibration to modify the delivery of generated pollutants to receiving waters. Spatial, tabular, and charting software components were used to provide alternative forms of output visualization. FILTER was developed using a process that resulted in manager-stakeholders taking responsibility for setting of model parameter values and operation of the user interface, thereby encouraging uptake. The inclusive development process, tailoring of the software to manager needs and styles of usage, and matching of model complexity to data and knowledge, resulted in a successful application that has become the current agreed system representation among disparate stakeholder organizations.     

资源贫瘠地区农户技术采用的影响因素分析

引入双槛模型,分两个阶段考察滇西南资源贫瘠地区农户改良陆稻技术采用行为的影响因素。第一,农户决定是否采用改良陆稻技术(采用决定)的影响因素;第二,如果采用,农户决定改良陆稻技术采用程度(采用程度决定)的影响因素。研究发现,影响农户决定是否采用改良陆稻技术的因素和影响农户决定改良陆稻技术采用程度的因素存在很大差异。农户所拥有的资源禀赋状况,例如耕地面积、市场远近、缺粮程度、海拔高度和有无技术推广项目等对农户的采用决定有显著的正向影响;而家庭劳动力比重和水田面积比例则有显著的负向影响。农户家庭规模和台地面积比例对农户技术采用程度决定呈现显著的正向影响,而耕地面积、水田面积比例和海拔高度则对其呈现显著的负向影响。因此,在制定资源贫瘠山区的农业技术推广政策时,应该充分注意区分影响技术推广广度和深度的不同因素,使不同政策措施更能在资源缺乏的情况下具有适应性和针对性。     

Structural equation model of the influence of noise annoyance on miners’ unsafe behavior in coal mines

Miners' unsafe behavior (UB) is the main cause of coal mine accidents. Previous research has suggested that excessive noise in tunnels impacts miners' temperaments and safe production behavior. To explore the influence of noise on UB, four different dimensions of noise annoyance were identified: cognitive, emotional, communication, and physical mechanism annoyance. The coal mine noise annoyance scale, miners' unsafe behavior intention (UBI) scale, and miners’ UB scale were developed according to different dimensions. In the first survey, a total of 200 questionnaires were distributed in the two coal mines, and 193 valid questionnaires were recovered. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted, and invalid items were removed according to the analysis results to form the final scale. Then, 500 final scales were distributed in two Chinese coal mines, and 482 valid questionnaires were collected. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted by collating the data of the second questionnaire. Based upon the structural equation model (SEM), the SEM of the influence of noise annoyance degree on UB and the path analysis with latent variable path analysis with the latent variables (PA-LVs) mediating model of the effect of UBI on UB were established, and the path coefficients with fitting data of the model were analyzed. The results indicated that the four dimensions of coal mine noise annoyance had a strong positive impact on UB, which was reduced by less noise annoyance. In addition, the Bootstrap method was used to verify the mediating method among the four dimensions of noise annoyance, cognitive annoyance, emotional annoyance, with communication annoyance indirectly affecting UB through UBI. The research results provide theoretical support for reducing the UB of miners and improving coal mine safety levels.     

从环境伦理学的目的性理论看人与自然的价值区别

人是一种精神性的存在者,其生命承载着多重性的价值.人不光具有自然价值,同时还具有精神价值.这正是人类优越于其它生命的地方.环境论理学的目的性理论,是把意识的价值还原到自然的价值上去.它肯定了生命的权利,具有积极的意义.另一方面,它也混淆了人的精神价值与自然价值的区别.