What’s counted as a reindeer herder? Gender and the adaptive capacity of Sami reindeer herding communities in Sweden

Researchers of adaptive capacity and sustainable livelihoods have frequently used social, cultural, human, economic and institutional capitals to better understand how rural and resource-dependent communities address environmental, social and economic stresses. Yet few studies have considered how men and women contribute differently to these capitals to support community resilience overall. Our research sought to understand the differential contributions of Sami men and women to the adaptive capacity of reindeer husbandry and reindeer herding communities in northern Sweden. Our focus revealed a gendered division of labour in reindeer herding as an economic enterprise as well as gendered contributions to a broader conceptualization of reindeer husbandry as a family and community-based practice, and as a livelihood and cultural tradition. Based on our results, we recommend that community resilience be enhanced by generating more opportunities for men to achieve higher levels of human and economic capital (particularly outside of herding activities) and encouraging women to contribute more directly to institutional capital by participating in the formation and implementation of legislation, policies and plans.     

Combining polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) with toxicity testing to evaluate pesticide mixture effects on natural phototrophic biofilms

Polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) are valuable tools in passive sampling methods for monitoring polar organic pesticides in freshwaters. Pesticides extracted from the environment using such methods can be used to toxicity tests. This study evaluated the acute effects of POCIS extracts on natural phototrophic biofilm communities. Our results demonstrate an effect of POCIS pesticide mixtures on chlorophyll a fluorescence, photosynthetic efficiency and community structure. Nevertheless, the range of biofilm responses differs according to origin of the biofilms tested, revealing spatial variations in the sensitivity of natural communities in the studied stream. Combining passive sampler extracts with community-level toxicity tests offers promising perspectives for ecological risk assessment.     

The Challenge of Bridging Science and Policy in the Baltic Sea Eutrophication Governance in Finland: The perspective of Science

This article examines the views of scientists on intricacies of scientific knowledge that affect science–policy interface in the Baltic Sea eutrophication governance in Finland. The analysis demonstrates that these intricacies can be divided into five categories: (1) uncertainty of knowledge concerning ecological processes, (2) heterogeneity of knowledge, (3) societal and political call for (certain) knowledge, (4) contingency of the knowledge that ends up taken as a baseline for decision making and further research, and (5) linkages of knowledge production, processing, and communication to particular characteristics of individual researchers and research societies. By explicating these aspects, this article illustrates the ways in which scientific knowledge concerning eutrophication is human-bound and susceptible to interpretation, thus adding on to the uncertainty of the Baltic Sea environmental governance. The aim is, then, to open up perspectives on how ambiguities related to science–policy interface could be coped with.     

Power Discourses of Fish Death: Case of Linnunsuo Peat Production

This article explores the peat production impacts on Jukajoki river in Finland by implementing discourse analysis. Four discourses are explored: state truth statements; company statements that are in close proximity of state power; discourses provided by the local community Selkie, who provided counter-narratives to the official views; and finally media and related discourses. In conclusion, the discourses by the state and closely related actors (A–B) comprised implementation of their power and justifying it at the expense of those who are excluded from such power, in this case the village. The village narrative (C) contains elements that strongly contradict the statements provided by those with power. The results indicate local communities should be taken more seriously. The systematic denial of local peoples’ rights should be reviewed, and local participation in environmental permit assessments implemented.     

Increasing the Use of Earth Science Data and Models in Air Quality Management

In 2010, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initiated the Air Quality Applied Science Team (AQAST) as a 5-year, $17.5-million award with 19 principal investigators. AQAST aims to increase the use of Earth science products in air quality-related research and to help meet air quality managers’ information needs. We conducted a Web-based survey and a limited number of follow-up interviews to investigate federal, state, tribal, and local air quality managers’ perspectives on usefulness of Earth science data and models, and on the impact AQAST has had. The air quality managers we surveyed identified meeting the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone and particulate matter, emissions from mobile sources, and interstate air pollution transport as top challenges in need of improved information. Most survey respondents viewed inadequate coverage or frequency of satellite observations, data uncertainty, and lack of staff time or resources as barriers to increased use of satellite data by their organizations. Managers who have been involved with AQAST indicated that the program has helped build awareness of NASA Earth science products, and assisted their organizations with retrieval and interpretation of satellite data and with application of global chemistry and climate models. AQAST has also helped build a network between researchers and air quality managers with potential for further collaborations.

Implications: NASA’s Air Quality Applied Science Team (AQAST) aims to increase the use of satellite data and global chemistry and climate models for air quality management purposes, by supporting research and tool development projects of interest to both groups. Our survey and interviews of air quality managers indicate they found value in many AQAST projects and particularly appreciated the connections to the research community that the program facilitated. Managers expressed interest in receiving continued support for their organizations’ use of satellite data, including assistance in retrieving and interpreting data from future geostationary platforms meant to provide more frequent coverage for air quality and other applications.     

Large-scale environmental degradation results in inequitable impacts to already impoverished communities: A case study from the floating villages of Cambodia

Cambodian subsistence communities within the Tonle Sap Great Lake area rely on resource extraction from the lake to meet livelihood needs. These fishing communities—many of which consist of dwellings floating on the lake—face potentially profound livelihood challenges because of climate change and changing hydrology due to dam construction for hydroelectricity within the Mekong Basin. We conducted interviews across five village communities, with local subsistence fisher people in the Tonle Sap in 2015, and used thematic analysis methods to reveal a fishery system that is undergoing rapid ecological decline, with local fishing communities increasingly experiencing reductions in available fish stocks. As a result, over 100 000 people living in these communities are experiencing a direct loss of well-being and livelihood. We discuss these losses and consider their implications for the future viability of Cambodian floating village communities.     

Environmental PCBs in Guánica Bay,Puerto Rico: implications for community health

Guánica Bay, located in southwestern Puerto Rico, has suffered oil spills and other pollution discharges since the 1960s. Previous research showed elevated concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in coral reef and sediment. This research examined PCB concentrations in sediment and fish. Sediment and fish sampling in the bay was facilitated by community members. This study identified the second highest reported PCB level (129,300 ng/g) in sediment in the USA. Fish samples also showed elevated concentrations (1623 to 3768 ng/g), which were higher than the thresholds of safe levels of PCBs in fish for human consumption. The alarmingly high concentration of PCBs calls for proactive community engagement to bring awareness about contamination of the bay and more extensive sampling to test for the concentration of PCBs in seafood and the people of Guánica. This study also underscores the value of the involvement of local communities during sampling design aimed at identifying hot spots of contaminants.     

Role of sea-ice biota in nutrient and organic material cycles in the northern Baltic Sea

This paper compiles biological and chemical sea-ice data from three areas of the Baltic Sea: the Bothnian Bay (Hailuoto, Finland), the Bothnian Sea (Norrby, Sweden), and the Gulf of Finland (Tv?rminne, Finland). The data consist mainly of field measurements and experiments conducted during the BIREME project from 2003 to 2006, supplemented with relevant published data. Our main focus was to analyze whether the biological activity in Baltic Sea sea-ice shows clear regional variability. Sea-ice in the Bothnian Bay has low chlorophyll a concentrations, and the bacterial turnover rates are low. However, we have sampled mainly land-fast level first-year sea-ice and apparently missed the most active biological system, which may reside in deformed ice (such as ice ridges). Our limited data set shows high concentrations of algae in keel blocks and keel block interstitial water under the consolidated layer of the pressure ridges in the northernmost part of the Baltic Sea. In land-fast level sea-ice in the Bothnian Sea and the Gulf of Finland, the lowermost layer appears to be the center of biological activity, though elevated biomasses can also be found occasionally in the top and interior parts of the ice. Ice algae are light limited during periods of snow cover, and phosphate is generally the limiting nutrient for ice bottom algae. Bacterial growth is evidently controlled by the production of labile dissolved organic matter by algae because low growth rates were recorded in the Bothnian Bay with high concentrations of allochthonous dissolved organic matter. Bacterial communities in the Bothnian Sea and the Gulf of Finland show high turnover rates, and activities comparable with those of open water communities during plankton blooms, which implies that sea-ice bacterial communities have high capacity to process matter during the winter period.     

Management Principles for Negotiating Waste Facility Siting Agreements

Initial failure to site a small hazardous waste transfer station focussed attention on the need for a siting approach to overcome community resistance to negotiating siting agreements. A community study program was structured utilizing key principles of community decision making to justify need, to allow for community value judgments of gains, losses and fairness, and to encourage community adaptation to change by providing community control and choice. By translating these principles into specific actions, community awareness and responsibility were fostered and resulted in a consensus to negotiate with transfer station proponents in over 70 percent of the fourteen participating communities. The successful communities represented the entire range of size, income, education levels, type and ownership of homes. Participants stated that the key factors that contributed to their success in reaching consensus were the recognition of need, choice of options and of management measures to minimize impacts, economic cost reduction, and the growth of community pride as a result of taking part in the decision process. These factors reflect the positive effect and the significance of applying the derived decision-making principles.     

Four Decades of Plant Community Change in the Alpine Tundra of Southwest Yukon,Canada

Repeat measurements from long-term plots provide precise data for studying plant community change. In 2010, we visited a remote location in Yukon, Canada, where a detailed survey of alpine tundra communities was conducted in 1968. Plant community composition was resurveyed on the same four slopes using the same methods as the original study. Species richness and diversity increased significantly over the 42 years and non-metric multidimensional scaling indicated that community composition had also changed significantly. However, the direction and magnitude of change varied with aspect. Dominant species were not replaced or eliminated but, instead, declined in relative importance. Fine-scale changes in vegetation were evident from repeat photography and dendro-ecological analysis of erect shrubs, supporting the community-level analysis. The period of study corresponds to a mean annual temperature increase of 2°C, suggesting that climate warming has influenced these changes.     

Pesticides in Urban Atmospheres

A study of airborne particulate pesticides in urban atmospheres was conducted in 1963 and 1964. Samples were collected in eight agricultural communities and in jour communities with active insect control programs. Sampling and analysis procedures are described, briefly. Ambient concentrations of the various pesticides found in the different communities are presented. Survey, community; pollutant, pesticides, particulates.     

Assessing microbial communities for a metabolic profile similar to activated sludge.

To search for reliable testing inocula alternatives to activated sludge cultures, several model microbial consortia were compared with activated sludge populations for their functional diversity. The evaluation of the metabolic potential of these mixed inocula was performed using the Biolog EcoPlates and GN and GP MicroPlates (Biolog, Inc., Hayward, California). The community-level physiological profiles (CLPPs) obtained for model communities and activated sludge samples were analyzed by principal component analysis and hierarchic clustering methods, to evaluate the ability of Biolog plates to distinguish among the different microbial communities. The effect of different inocula preparation methodologies on the community structure was also studied. The CLPPs obtained with EcoPlates and GN MicroPlates showed that EcoPlates are suitable to screen communities with a metabolic profile similar to activated sludge. New, well-defined, standardized, and safe inocula presenting the same metabolic community profile as activated sludge were selected and can be tested as surrogate cultures in activated-sludge-based bioassays.     

Investigating the real-world emission characteristics of light-duty gasoline vehicles and their relationship to local socioeconomic conditions in three communities in Los Angeles,California

This paper discusses results from a vehicular emissions research study of over 350 vehicles conducted in three communities in Los Angeles, CA, in 2010 using vehicle chase measurements. The study explores the real-world emission behavior of light-duty gasoline vehicles, characterizes real-world super-emitters in the different regions, and investigates the relationship of on-road vehicle emissions with the socioeconomic status (SES) of the region. The study found that in comparison to a 2007 earlier study in a neighboring community, vehicle emissions for all measured pollutants had experienced a significant reduction over the years, with oxides of nitrogen (NO_X) and black carbon (BC) emissions showing the largest reductions. Mean emission factors of the sampled vehicles in low-SES communities were roughly 2–3 times higher for NO_X, BC, carbon monoxide, and ultrafine particles, and 4–11 times greater for fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) than for vehicles in the high-SES neighborhood. Further analysis indicated that the emission factors of vehicles within a technology group were also higher in low-SES communities compared to similar vehicles in the high-SES community, suggesting that vehicle age alone did not explain the higher vehicular emission in low-SES communities.

Evaluation of the emission factor distribution found that emissions from 12% of the sampled vehicles were greater than five times the mean from all of the sampled fleet, and these vehicles were consequently categorized as “real-world super-emitters.” Low-SES communities had approximately twice as many super-emitters for most of the pollutants as compared to the high-SES community. Vehicle emissions calculated using model-year-specific average fuel consumption assumptions suggested that approximately 5% of the sampled vehicles accounted for nearly half of the total CO, PM_2.5, and UFP emissions, and 15% of the vehicles were responsible for more than half of the total NO_X and BC emissions from the vehicles sampled during the study.

Implications: This study evaluated the real-world emission behavior and super-emitter distribution of light-duty gasoline vehicles in California, and investigated the relationship of on-road vehicle emissions with local socioeconomic conditions. The study observed a significant reduction in vehicle emissions for all measured pollutants when compared to an earlier study in Wilmington, CA, and found a higher prevalence of high-emitting vehicles in low-socioeconomic-status communities. As overall fleet emissions decrease from stringent vehicle emission regulations, a small fraction of the fleet may contribute to a disproportionate share of the overall on-road vehicle emissions. Therefore, this work will have important implications for improving air quality and public health, especially in low-SES communities.     

印染废水接触氧化池中悬浮污泥和生物膜的微生物群落比较分析

为了揭示接触氧化池中悬浮污泥和生物膜菌群群落结构的异同,提取基因组DNA,采用PCR扩增与454高通量测序技术对两者菌群测序并进行了操作单元(OTU)聚类分析、多样性分析和分类学分析。结果表明,悬浮污泥和生物膜菌群的高通量测序分析分别得到优化序列8 256条和10 592条,测序覆盖深度都在80%左右,经过97%相似度归并后分别得到570个OTUs和694个OTUs,菌群多样性分析显示悬浮污泥内菌群的丰度和多样性都低于生物膜,悬浮污泥有356个属的细菌构成,而生物膜内则有387个,都归属于21个门。悬浮污泥和生物膜内不仅存在共有菌种,也含有各自的特定菌种,说明不同的微环境使其有了相对应的优势群落。通过这种差异的比较分析,更能准确地了解接触氧化池中微生物的群落组成情况,有利于分析其与系统功能的关系。     

Effects of ammonia on periphytic communities

Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the chronic effects of ammonia on periphytic communities. Species richness of the protozoan component of these communities was affected at un-ionized ammonia concentrations of 相似文献   

Development of a new biotic index to assess freshwater pollution

We developed a new biotic index of species pollution value (SPV) and community pollution value (CPV) based on the correlation of protozoan communities with chemical water quality to assess freshwater pollution. Five hundred and twenty-three species of protozoa SPV were established based on the data of River Hangjiang and Lake Donghu. The present research was conducted in order to further consummate the biotic index. Protozoa of the water system in Changde City were collected from 16 stations using the PFU method and the water chemical parameters of the stations were analyzed. The results showed that CPV calculated from SPV had a close correlation with the degree of water pollution (p < 0.00001), which indicated that the method is reliable. By combining the data of River Hangjiang, Lake Donghu and Changde City, the final form of SPV was accomplished and the SPV list increased to 757. The ultimate water standard evaluated by CPV calculated from SPV was proposed.     

Ecosystem service lens reveals diverse community values of small-scale fisheries

The ocean provides benefits to coastal communities around the world, however, the depth and complexity of people’s interactions with marine ecosystems are not well represented in many marine management initiatives. Many fisheries are managed to maximize provisioning value, which is readily quantified, while ignoring cultural values. An ecosystem services approach that includes both provisioning and cultural services will enable managers to better account for the diverse values marine fisheries provide to coastal communities. In this study, we assess community values related to a top fished species, the Mexican chocolate clam, Megapitaria squalida, in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico. We conducted an exploratory analysis based on 42 household surveys, and found that community members perceive multiple provisioning and cultural benefits from the clam, including community economic, historical, and identity values. Despite reporting infrequent harvest and consumption of clams, participants perceive the species as an important part of community identity, highlighting the role of Mexican chocolate clams as a cultural keystone species in the Loreto region. Fisheries management that recognizes the full range of ecosystem services a species contributes to coastal communities will be better equipped to sustain these diverse values into the future.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01405-w) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Combating land degradation through participatory means: the case of Swaziland

This paper examines a community grazing project to rehabilitate degraded land in Swaziland. Using data from interviews, questionnaires, and focus groups, we show that the ways in which participatory, decentralized approaches to natural resource management play out at the local level are closely linked to national-level power structures. The successes and issues that emerge at different stages of the grazing project reflect local socioeconomic priorities and show how people manage their time and labor according to household livelihood goals. However, the project favored the interests of cattle owners who were already the more socially and politically powerful members of the community. We argue that for participatory natural resource management to be more meaningful to communities, projects should focus on local ecological priorities, rather than addressing the environmental concerns that are rooted within existing dominant power structures. This requires change to social and political relationships across levels and the building of new institutions.     

Developing a predictive understanding of landscape importance to the Punan-Pelancau of East Kalimantan, Borneo

In order for local community views to be incorporated into new development initiatives, their perceptions need to be clearly understood and documented in a format that is readily accessible to planners and developers. The current study sought to develop a predictive understanding of how the Punan Pelancau community, living in a forested landscape in East Kalimantan, assigns importance to its surrounding landscapes and to present these perceptions in the form of maps. The approach entailed the iterative use of a combination of participatory community evaluation methods and more formal modeling and geographic information system techniques. Results suggest that landscape importance is largely dictated by potential benefits, such as inputs to production, health, and houses. Neither land types nor distance were good predictors of landscape importance. The grid-cell method, developed as part of the study, appears to offer a simple technique to capture and present the knowledge of local communities, even where their relationship to the land is highly complex, as was the case for this particular community.