A Participatory Assessment of Ecosystem Services and Human Wellbeing in Rural Costa Rica Using Photo-Voice

Human well-being is intricately connected to ecosystem services. A keystone contribution to the ecosystem service literature has been the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, MA, (Ecosystems and human well-being: a framework for assessment, Island Press, Washington, DC; 2003, 2005). Much of the work on ecosystem services to date has focused on the assessment and classification of environmental functions. The need for inclusion of community perspectives in ecosystem assessments has been widely recognized in order to better understand the distribution of impacts and benefits resulting from natural resource use. Communities can offer a direct route to understanding the complex relationships between ecosystems and human well-being and how environmental management affects their livelihoods. Photovoice has been made popular as a tool for participatory needs assessment but it has had limited use in ecosystem assessments to date. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to present the results of a community-level assessment of environmental services in a watershed dominated by pineapple monoculture in Costa Rica; and (2) to evaluate the strengths and the limitations of photovoice as a tool for mapping the relationship between ecosystems and people. I argue that photovoice is an underutilized methodology that has the potential to complement biophysical ecosystem service assessments in the context of impoverished and resource-dependent communities, particularly, since assessing ecosystem services and acting upon that information requires integrating the knowledges of diverse stakeholders, recognizing power imbalances, and grappling with the complexity of social-ecological systems. Processes such as photovoice have the potential to catalyze community self-organization, which is a critical component for empowerment.     

Flourishing Dogs: The Case for an Individualized Conception of Welfare and Its Implications

Martha Nussbaum argues that animals (including ourselves) are entitled to a flourishing life according to the norm for their species. Nussbaum furthermore suggests that in the case of dogs, breed norms as well as species norms are relevant. Her theses capture both common intuitions among laypeople according to which there is something wrong with the breeding of “unnatural” animals, or animals that are too different from their wild ancestors, and the dog enthusiast’s belief that dogs departing from the norms for their breed are tragic. I argue that the high diversity of the dog species and the ultimate arbitrariness of breed norms support the thesis that a conception of welfare must be tied to what the individual requires in order to flourish. In the second part of the paper, I discuss the implications that an individualized (but sufficiently sophisticated) welfare conception has for the breeding of dogs for conformation shows, for the pet market and for the performance of various tasks for which we need working dogs.     

Conservation,Conflict and the Governance of Fisher Wellbeing: Analysis of the Establishment of the Gulf of Mannar National Park and Biosphere Reserve

This article examines one MPA—the Gulf of Mannar National Park and Biosphere Reserve—located in southern India, and four types of social conflict that have surrounded its establishment. Taking the strength of wellbeing aspirations as point of departure, we focus on two themes: the implications of MPA embeddedness in wider societal systems, and the consequences of natural and social variety for governance. We conclude first of all that conflict resolution depends on MPA authorities’ willingness to engage with the interferences that emerge from outside the MPA area. Secondly, we point out the varying wellbeing aspirations of the population and the need to develop governance partnerships. The latter are argued to contribute to more balanced decision making, as well as to a greater appreciation among the target population of the ‘fairness’ of MPA policy.     

Bark in the Park: A Review of Domestic Dogs in Parks

The presence of domestic dogs Canis familiaris in public open spaces is increasingly controversial. In our review of the literature, we located 133 publications of various types (papers, reports etc.) that examine some aspect of dogs in parks and open spaces (50 % focussed solely on dogs). There has been an exponential growth in the cumulative number of articles (R ² = 0.96; 82 % published since 1997); almost all pertain to temperate latitudes (97 %) and most to the northern hemisphere (62 %). Most articles focus on impacts on wildlife (51 %), zoonotic diseases (17 %), and people’s perceptions regarding dogs (12 %). Articles mostly describe problems associated with dogs, while reports of low compliance with dog regulations are common. We outline six major findings regarding dogs in parks: (1) there is a paucity of information on dogs in parks, particularly in relation to their interactions with wildlife and regarding their management; (2) published studies are mainly restricted to a handful of locations in developed countries; (3) sectors of societies hold different views over the desirability of dogs in parks; (4) the benefits and risks of dogs to humans and park values are poorly documented and known; (5) dogs represent a notable disease risk in some but not all countries; and (6) coastal parks are over-represented in the literature in terms of potential negative impacts. Park managers globally require better information to achieve conservation outcomes from dog management in parks.     

中小城市的光污染及防治对策

我国经济处于高速增长期,建设日新月异,中小城市的光污染问题日趋明显,防治显得十分重要。文章以中山市城区为例,对道路照明、建筑照明、广告照明、绿化照明,以及玻璃幕墙反射等光污染情况进行了调研和评价。根据中山市城区的光污染情况,从制定和完善光污染防治法规体系、加强规划和宏观管理、提高公众参与力度和监督力度、加大人才培养和政策扶持力度、加大清洁生产推广力度以及实施照明设计单位资质认证等多方面提出了对光污染的防治对策。     

现阶段国内外城市固体废弃物的治理技术与治理概况

城市固体废弃物是人们在工业生产活动、生活活动及商业活动中所产生的固体废物,这种废物随着国民经济的发展、人口的增长、人民生活水平的提高,数量不断增加。它破坏了市容,污染环境,给人民健康带来了极大的危害,因此,需加以处置和处理。本文将系统地介绍现阶段国内外城市固体废弃物的现状及处理技术,并针对我国国情,提出合理化的处理方案。     

塔里木河上游及源流区草原荒漠化及其防治研究

加强生态环境保护和建设是西部大开发的战略重点。针对塔里木河流域环境恶化、草地开发利用失衡、草原荒漠化日趋严重的问题,提出具体规划和综合治理方案。     

环境、资源统计与核算

本文从国家实施可持续发展战略出发，分析了环境统计工作存在的问题。提出了可持续发展的环境，资源统计与核算的新概念。     

Bauxite and alumina: trends and prospects

During the past 25 years the bauxite and alumina industry has grown threefold creating major change in the industry structure and reducing the dominance of the majors. Australia has emerged as the leading producer with a major third party alumina market developed principally by Alcoa of Australia. Future growth while, less dramatic, is likely to be substantial requiring US$50 billion to fund new projects which will be concentrated in developing countries with large bauxite reserves and developed infrastructure.     

Transport and fate of nitrate and pesticides: hydrogeology and riparian zone processes

There is continuing concern over potential impacts of widespread application of nutrients and pesticides on ground- and surface-water quality. Transport and fate of nitrate and pesticides were investigated in a shallow aquifer and adjacent stream, Cow Castle Creek, in Orangeburg County, South Carolina. Pesticide and pesticide degradate concentrations were detected in ground water with greatest frequency and largest concentrations directly beneath and downgradient from the corn (Zea mays L.) field where they were applied. In almost all samples in which they were detected, concentrations of pesticide degradates greatly exceeded those of parent compounds, and were still present in ground waters that were recharged during the previous 18 yr. The absence of both parent and degradate compounds in samples collected from deeper in the aquifer suggests that this persistence is limited or that the ground water had recharged before use of the pesticide. Concentrations of NO(-)(3) in ground water decreased with increasing depth and age, but denitrification was not a dominant controlling factor. Hydrologic and chemical data indicated that ground water discharges to the creek and chemical exchange takes place within the upper 0.7 m of the streambed. Ground water had its greatest influence on surface-water chemistry during low-flow periods, causing a decrease in concentrations of Cl(-), NO(-)(3), pesticides, and pesticide degradates. Conversely, shallow subsurface drainage dominates stream chemistry during high-flow periods, increasing stream concentrations of Cl(-), NO(-)(3), pesticides, and pesticide degradates. These results point out the importance of understanding the hydrogeologic setting when investigating transport and fate of contaminants in ground water and surface water.     

Biochar and manure affect calcareous soil and corn silage nutrient concentrations and uptake

Carbon-rich biochar derived from the pyrolysis of biomass can sequester atmospheric CO, mitigate climate change, and potentially increase crop productivity. However, research is needed to confirm the suitability and sustainability of biochar application to different soils. To an irrigated calcareous soil, we applied stockpiled dairy manure (42 Mg ha dry wt) and hardwood-derived biochar (22.4 Mg ha), singly and in combination with manure, along with a control, yielding four treatments. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied when needed (based on preseason soil test N and crop requirements) in all plots and years, with N mineralized from added manure included in this determination. Available soil nutrients (NH-N; NO-N; Olsen P; and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-extractable K, Mg, Na, Cu, Mn, Zn, and Fe), total C (TC), total N (TN), total organic C (TOC), and pH were evaluated annually, and silage corn nutrient concentration, yield, and uptake were measured over two growing seasons. Biochar treatment resulted in a 1.5-fold increase in available soil Mn and a 1.4-fold increase in TC and TOC, whereas manure produced a 1.2- to 1.7-fold increase in available nutrients (except Fe), compared with controls. In 2009 biochar increased corn silage B concentration but produced no yield increase; in 2010 biochar decreased corn silage TN (33%), S (7%) concentrations, and yield (36%) relative to controls. Manure produced a 1.3-fold increase in corn silage Cu, Mn, S, Mg, K, and TN concentrations and yield compared with the control in 2010. The combined biochar-manure effects were not synergistic except in the case of available soil Mn. In these calcareous soils, biochar did not alter pH or availability of P and cations, as is typically observed for acidic soils. If the second year results are representative, they suggest that biochar applications to calcareous soils may lead to reduced N availability, requiring additional soil N inputs to maintain yield targets.     

The planning and management of African river and lake basin development and conservation

The success of river and lake basin development and management is rooted in the knowledge of its resources, both physical and human. Within the framework of an integrated basin plan, each economic sector depends on the adequacy of such data for its individual development. The management and conservation of the basin itself in turn depends on knowing the requirements of those sectors and their probable impact on each other and on the status of the basin's resources, its ecology and environment. The development of African river basin resources is subject to various constraints, some for physical and climatic reasons, others tied to socio-cultural characteristics and the priorities of national economies. These are reflected in financial, manpower and institutional limitations, problems of finding technologies suited to specific local conditions and concern for human health. The scale and complexity of river basin development make it difficult to predict precise outcomes of planned proposals, but a progressive approach which links long-term activities with achievable, shorter term production projects offers prospects for ultimate success.     

浅议砖厂对环境的破坏、污染及其防治对策

通过对哈密市40余家砖厂的调查和监测,分析了红砖生产对土地资源的破坏以及对大气环境造成的污染问题,就加强建设项目环境影响评价审批制度和排污申报登记、污染源监督监测工作,实行环境保护目标责任制,积极进行砖厂复坑复垦提出了必要的防治措施     

丽江地区中低产耕地及其开发利用

本义探讨了丽江地区中低产耕地的特征,并从自然因素和人文因素分析了低产的原因,进而提出合理改良利用低产耕地的对策。     

Recognizing hidden environmental and social costs and reducing ecological and societal damage through tax, price, and subsidy reform

Indirect, unpriced environmental and social costs of human activities in the United States amount to several trillion dollars each year. By accounting for these costs and shifting some of the tax burden from work to waste, it would be possible to protect the environment and benefit society and the economy.     

水磨河流域水土保持生态建设及其效益

水磨河流域是乌鲁木齐市水土流失最严重的地区,是工业发达的人口密集区,也是风景旅游区。但由于土壤侵蚀、暴雨成灾,每年造成很大经济损失。经过多年的生态和防洪工程建设,已使该流域生态环境大为改善,取得了生态经济效益。