千年生态系统评估项目的后续计划——将知识转化为行动的全球战略

千年生态系统评估项目(MA)的后续计划是在MA的基础上,拟于近期启动的一项将知识转化为行动的全球战略计划。该后续计划提出了通过阻止和扭转生态系统服务的下降趋势来改善人类福祉状况的愿景,其总目标是争取把生态系统服务要素融入到各级公共部门和私营机构的决策当中,使其成为决策制定过程不可或缺的重要组成部分。这一总目标包括4个阶段目标：① 深入研究生物多样性、生态系统功能以及生态系统服务和人类福祉之间的内在联系,建立与完善生态系统服务方面的知识库,并开发将生态系统服务要素融入到经济社会发展决策当中所必需的有效工具;② 加强决策者的能力建设,并通过他们把生态系统服务要素融入到公共部门和私营机构的各级决策当中;③ 制定基于各种行动计划的传媒策略和教育手段,充分地将MA的成果提交给决策者及有关各方,最大程度地发挥MA的影响;④ 谋划未来的全球生态系统评估,探讨开展第2次全球生态系统评估的需求、对策及有关机制。     

基于关系数据库的环境监测知识库的建立

“环境监测专家系统”可有效监控环境污染状况 ,对环境污染作分析、评价、分级、预警等 ,促进环境的管理和改善。环境监测知识库是该专家系统的核心 ,通过知识库 ,专家系统可以自我学习 ,自我诊断 ,自我发展。本文通过对知识库和数据库的分析比较 ,指出在关系数据库平台上建立环境监测知识库的可行性 ,给出了在关系数据库系统中建立环境监测知识库的方法 ,即如何在关系数据库环境中实现环境监测知识获取、表示和管理     

太湖流域水生态环境功能分区管理指标达成效率评估和预警研究

太湖流域严峻的水生态环境形势备受关注,而水生态环境功能分区管理体系实施现状和效果无法被准确把握。以太湖流域水生态环境功能分区为研究对象,基于四象限法则和二维向量结构指标体系等方法论,综合障碍因子分析与目标可达性分析,对太湖流域水生态环境功能分区管理绩效评估目标达成效率进行评估和预警,为水生态环境功能分区管控提供技术指导。结果表明,江苏省太湖流域目标达成效率情况较好,"高效"、"一般"、"低效"的比例依次下降,高预警级别的区域较少;环境效率指标中单位面积污染物减排管控效率较高,环境质量指标整体表现良好,须谨防向"低效"转变。     

基于智能算法的大气污染防控知识图谱：研究方法、演化路径与应用展望

大气污染防控是保障人民健康与生命安全重要的研究课题,智能算法是大气污染防控及预测预警的重要工具手段。通过Citespace对Web of Science核心数据库中1998—2021年智能算法在大气污染防控中应用的文献进行可视化分析。结果表明：(1)智能算法在大气污染防控应用历经“数理统计-遥感监测-数字模拟-神经网络算法”四个阶段;(2)研究主题集聚为“神经网络模型”“智慧健康检测系统”和“城市空间的大气污染”三个核心聚类演变路径;(3)应用方式包括“大气污染时空分布”“大气污染因素相关性”“大气污染事件预测”“空气质量优劣评估”与“健康韧性城市应用”五个方面。未来智能算法在大气污染防控中的应用趋势,将体现“高精度预测-全周期评估-健康化理念”的特点。     

Team creativity/innovation in culturally diverse teams: A meta‐analysis

This meta‐analysis investigates the direction and strength of the relationship between diversity in culturally diverse teams and team creativity/innovation. We distinguish the effects of two diversity levels (i.e., surface level vs. deep level) in culturally diverse teams and examine the moderators suggested by the socio‐technical systems framework (i.e., team virtuality and task characteristics in terms of task interdependence, complexity, and intellectiveness). Surface‐level diversity in culturally diverse teams is not related to team creativity/innovation, whereas deep‐level diversity in culturally diverse teams is positively related to team creativity/innovation. Moreover, surface‐level diversity in culturally diverse teams and team creativity/innovation are negatively related for simple tasks but unrelated for complex tasks. Deep‐level diversity in culturally diverse teams and team creativity/innovation is positively related for collocated teams and interdependent tasks but unrelated for noncollocated teams and independent tasks. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications.     

Distinct effects of intrinsic motivation and extrinsic rewards on radical and incremental creativity: The moderating role of goal orientations

Previous studies have investigated the role of intrinsic motivation and extrinsic rewards in enhancing employee creativity. However, the possibility that these motivational factors affect the creativity of different types remains largely unexplored, particularly in the organizational settings. Moreover, the potential that personality traits may moderate the function of these motivational factors toward creativity is another underresearched area. By drawing on the person–situation interaction perspective, we propose that both intrinsic motivation and extrinsic rewards predict creativity but of different types. Thus, we diverge from the view that creativity is a uniform criterion domain by adopting the distinction between radical and incremental creativity. Our empirical analysis of 220 independent employee–supervisor dyads confirmed that intrinsic motivation and extrinsic rewards predict radical and incremental creativity, respectively. Moreover, the effects of intrinsic motivation on radical and incremental creativity are more positive for employees with higher learning goal orientation. By contrast, the effect of extrinsic rewards on incremental creativity is more positive for employees with higher performance goal orientation. This study offers elaborate and nuanced perspectives and insights into the role of different motivational processes in the development of different types of creativity.     

Competency requirements for process hazard analysis (PHA) teams

Process hazard analysis (PHA) is a cornerstone of process safety management programs. The quality of the PHA performed directly affects the level of risk tolerated for a process. The lower the quality of a PHA, the more likely higher risk will be tolerated. There are few requirements for PHA team members in the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's process safety management regulations. More detailed requirements for participation in a PHA are desirable.A competency management program should be used to ensure PHA practitioners and teams are appropriately qualified. Criteria for selecting PHA team leaders, or facilitators, and other team members are key to such a program and are described in this paper. The criteria cover both technical and personal attributes. Application of the criteria is described and team performance metrics, which can be used to correlate performance with the assessment of competency to validate the criteria and methods used, are discussed.Owing to the importance of the role played by team leaders, certification of their competency is desirable. Criteria for certification are described and their application is discussed.     

A transformative mission for prioritising nature in Australian cities

Australia is experiencing mounting pressures related to processes of urbanisation, biodiversity loss and climate change felt at large in cities. At the same time, it is cities that can take the leading role in pioneering approaches and solutions to respond to those coupling emergencies. In this perspective piece we respond to the following question: What are the required transformations for prioritising, valuing, maintaining and embracing nature in cities in Australia? We adopt the mission framework as an organising framework to present proposed pathways to transform Australian cities as nature-positive places of the future. We propose three interconnected pathways as starting actions to steer urban planning, policy and governance in Australian cities: First, cities need to establish evidence-based planning for nature in cities and mainstream new planning tools that safeguard and foreground urban nature. Second, collaborative planning needs to become a standard practice in cities and inclusive governance for nature in cities needs to prioritise Aboriginal knowledge systems and practices as well as look beyond what local governments can do. Third, for progressing to nature-positive cities, it is paramount to empower communities to innovate with nature across Australian cities. Whilst we focus on Australian cities, the lessons and pathways are broadly applicably globally and can inspire science-policy debates for the post COP15 biodiversity and COP26 climate change implementation processes.     

The SoftGIS approach to local knowledge

The aim of the SoftGIS approach is to support urban planning processes and decision-making. SoftGIS aims to present a more comprehensive understanding of local knowledge. This is realized by the mapping of local knowledge and its integration into urban planning practices. SoftGIS is a multidisciplinary approach where different Internet- and GIS-based methods are developed to gather and process local knowledge. In this article we present the theoretical background to the SoftGIS approach as well as two case studies.     

Hybrid regimes of knowledge? Challenges for constructing scientific evidence in the context of the GMO-debate

Background, aim, and scope

Over the last two decades, there has been a remarkable shift of attention to the scientific and political fundamentals of the precautionary principle. The application of this principle has become a main strategy of coping with the different forms and problems related to non-knowledge. Thus, societies are increasingly confronted with the challenging and hitherto unresolved problem of political and technological decision-making under conditions of diverging framings of non-knowledge. At present, there seems to be no generally accepted scientific or institutional approach. This is why the fundamental question of how different scientific actors define and construct evidence is not answered yet. Hence, this paper is based on the consideration that the conflicts in risk policy concerning genetically modified organisms (GMO) depend on the unresolved conflicts about the diverging scientific strategies and structures of evidence-making between the epistemic cultures involved. Thus, this study investigates two questions: (1) do the epistemic strategies of evidence-making differ systematically with the scientific actors involved in the GMO-debate? (2) What consequences emerge considering institutionalized procedures of decision-making?

Main features

This article is based on a secondary analysis of findings and perspectives reported in the literature and on the methods of qualitative social empirical research, i.e., interviews with experts. A total number of 34 interviews were conducted to explore the different strategies of handling non-knowledge and constructing evidence. Actors from science, administration, business and NGOs were interviewed. In this way, typical epistemic cultures can be described. An epistemic culture is the constellation of methodological strategies, theoretical assumptions and practical-experimental settings which define in every speciality the ways how we know what we know.

Results

There are two main results. Firstly, it was worked out that the epistemic cultures involved in the GMO-debate use rather distinct strategies to define non-knowledge and to classify evidence. There are three types of constructing evidence, which correspond to different types of epistemic cultures. Secondly, the findings imply that the intensity of the conflicts in risk policy fields like the GMO-debate is due to a lack of knowledge politics. Usually, knowledge politics is restricted to the design of institutional procedures to compile knowledge provided by experts. The institutional setting of risk analysis and risk management is based on the premise of strict separation between knowledge and power. However, inadmissible mixing-up of knowledge and power is observable.

Discussion

It seems that non-knowledge leads to an epistemic no man’s land, and, hence, hybrid regimes of knowledge emerge. These regimes are hybrid with respect to the unclear and not explicitly reflected strategies of evidence-making. By lacking of knowledge politics, this situation opens up ‘windows of opportunity’ for actors with special interests in risk policy fields like the GMO-debate. Therefore, there is a difference between the visible institutionalized structures of risk policies and the rather invisible hybrid regimes of knowledge. Structure and scope of expertise have to be reflected and new instruments of knowledge politics have to be designed.

Conclusions

Different epistemic cultures can be qualified by describing their particular strategies of evidence-making. To solve the conflicts between these strategies, a meta-expertise is needed. Besides the institutionalized settings of knowledge politics, the underlying hybrid regimes of knowledge have to be identified.

Recommendations and perspectives

The concept of epistemic cultures and their strategies of evidence-making should be investigated more explicitly with respect to other risk policy fields The analysis of hybrid regimes of knowledge should be deepened by looking at the complex interactions between institutional, discursive and practical rules affecting risk assessment.