Multi-decadal drought and amplified moisture variability drove rapid forest community change in a humid region

Climate variability, particularly the frequency of extreme events, is likely to increase in the coming decades, with poorly understood consequences for terrestrial ecosystems. Hydroclimatic variations of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) provide a setting for studying ecological responses to recent climate variability at magnitudes and timescales comparable to expectations of coming centuries. We examined forest response to the MCA in the humid western Great Lakes region of North America, using proxy records of vegetation, fire, and hydroclimate. Multi-decadal moisture variability during the MCA was associated with a widespread, episodic decline in Fagus grandifolia (beech) populations. Spatial patterns of drought and forest changes were coherent, with beech declining only in areas where proxy-climate records indicate that severe MCA droughts occurred. The occurrence of widespread, drought-induced ecological changes in the Great Lakes region indicates that ecosystems in humid regions are vulnerable to rapid changes in drought magnitude and frequency.     

Managing organizations for sustainable development in emerging countries: an introduction

This introduction article is for the special issue ‘Managing organizations for sustainable development in emerging countries: natural resources, biodiversity, and climate change’ in the International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology and presents an introduction to the topics and summarizes accepted contributions in the special issue. The accepted works may contribute with organizational management in the search for more sustainable organizations. The works focus on the challenges of managing organizations in a context of degradation of natural resources, loss of biodiversity, and climate change. Accepted papers discuss these issues, based on the reality of emerging economies (e.g. Brazil, India, and China).     

COVID-19: the impact of a global crisis on sustainable development teaching

Environment, Development and Sustainability - The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global crisis, one which also influences the ways sustainability is being taught at universities. This paper...     

Factors driving sediment compositional change in the distal area of the Ria de Vigo (NW Spain): oceanographic processes vs. paleopollution

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - We analyze potential Late Holocene metal contamination along a sediment core collected in the distal zone of Ria de Vigo (North Spain). Statistical...     

“Return” and Extension Actions After Ethnobotanical Research: The Perceptions and Expectations of a Rural Community in Semi-arid Northeastern Brazil

The scientific community has debated the importance of “return” activities after ethnobiological studies. This issue has provoked debate because it touches on the ethics of research and the relationships with the people involved in these studies. This case study aimed to investigate community perception of an ethnobotany research project that was carried out in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. Furthermore, we reported how the residents of this rural community felt about participating in the activities of “return” that arose from the projects. Our findings demonstrate that “return” activities should be planned from the design phase of the research until its closure as a lifelong process that allows the communities involved to gradually take ownership of the information and actions that are being generated. Similarly, we argue that such activities must be negotiated with the people of the community so that they have decision-making power and autonomy to decide what is most relevant to their lives.     

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM): a review of progress in Portuguese implementation

Coastal areas are the focus of intensive urbanisation and tourism and are subject to changing physical processes causing significant natural environment modifications. It is in this context that the European Commission (EC) developed the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Recommendation and invited coastal Member States to produce national implementation strategies. Its general aim of sustainable coastal development was based on policy integration in cooperation with all stakeholders in an informed and participatory context. Portugal responded to the EC request by creating, approving, and adopting the national ICZM strategy. This paper focuses on Portuguese experiences putting the ICZM recommendation into practice and begins with a brief overview of community guidelines, national legislation, and implementation. Subsequently, governance mechanisms are discussed and best practice identified. From an assessment of Portuguese ICZM progress and lessons learned, conclusions and recommendations for improved effectiveness included: strengthening governance; improving sustainable decision-making processes supported by technical and scientific knowledge; and securing financial sustainability.     

Green coconut shells applied as adsorbent for removal of toxic metal ions using fixed-bed column technology

This study applies green coconut shells as adsorbent for the removal of toxic metal ions from aqueous effluents using column adsorption. The results show that a flow rate of 2 mL/min and a bed height of 10 cm are most feasible. Furthermore, larger amounts of effluent can be treated for removal of single ions. The breakthrough curves for multiple elements gave the order of adsorption capacity: Cu⁺² > Pb⁺² > Cd⁺² > Zn⁺² > Ni⁺². Real samples arising from the electroplating industry can be efficiently handled.     

Contaminated sites: the Canadian situation in an international context.

Over the last 2 decades, policy-makers have been giving increasing attention to the remediation and redevelopment of contaminated sites, especially those located in urban areas commonly referred to as brownfields. Traditionally, private developers have tended to ignore these sites on account of a series of obstacles of a structural-political nature, including variability in regulatory processes, lack of information on soil quality, impractical clean up standards, fear of liability, and limited funding resources for clean ups. This paper examines the types of policy-making measures that are currently being taken in Canada to overcome these obstacles, comparing them to those being taken in the US and Europe. It is argued that the contaminated site-related policies and programs employed to overcome each obstacle, both within Canada and internationally, are converging in style and content as governments are becoming more aware of the types of costs and risks they must share in order to solve the problem effectively. It is also argued that this trend is unfolding in a relatively predictable way, and that policy-making in Canada is evolving more slowly than it is in the other jurisdictions examined.