Connecting environmental management and farm household livelihoods: The Rural Environment Protection Scheme in Ireland

This paper presents the relationship between an environmental protection scheme, established in Ireland in 1994 under EU Regulation No. 2078/92, and the livelihoods of Irish farm households. It explores this relationship within the framework of the new policy environment for EU agriculture and rural areas as set out in Agenda 2000. At the centre of this new policy environment is the European model for agriculture, embodying the concept of multifunctionality, which recognizes the pivotal position of an evolving agricultural sector in enhancing the viability of rural areas through broadening the assets of farm families. Research undertaken with farm households in the west of Ireland indicates a positive relationship between the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme and the economic and natural assets upon which they build their livelihoods. The case of a small-scale dairy farm household is presented, showing clearly the positive impact of the scheme, while also highlighting the vulnerability of these improvements. A major challenge facing policy-makers is the extent to which acceptable levels of income and an enhanced natural environment on such farms can be sustained. The position of advisory and research institutions in strengthening human capacities on farms is highlighted and their enhanced role is suggested in order to give meaning to multifunctional and sustainable agriculture within the context of rural area viability. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Who is a hydrocitizen? The use of dialogic arts methods as a research tool with water professionals in West Yorkshire,UK

ABSTRACT

There is currently a recognition of the need for more collaborative approaches to water management, which involve communities of place as proactive stewards of their local water environments. However, the desire for such participatory approaches sits awkwardly with the primarily technocratic orientation and practices of the responsible professional organisations in the water sector. Professionals sometimes struggle to communicate with, or respond to, communities stressed by flood and other impacts. This paper examines the concept of “hydrocitizenship” in relation to the engagement between professional stakeholders interested and involved in water landscape management, regulation and associated issues, and communities in the River Aire corridor, Yorkshire, UK. The case study-based research used innovative, arts-based exploratory approaches that aimed to examine participants’ relationships with water and how local environmental concerns about policy and water could be revealed. Group conversations and interviews were used as a strategy both to develop mutual understandings between participants and to inform the creation of public performances which stimulated further discussion and reflection. The paper focuses on reporting the role and experience of stakeholders, and identifies the emergence of unexpected synergies, where performance became the means of two-way communication between the different groups involved in the research. In particular, a flexible, creative and playful approach captured the imagination and gained interactions and creative collaborations within local communities and stakeholder groups. The paper concludes by reflecting on possible extensions of this work in other contexts.     

Landscape ecology and conservation management—Evaluation of alternatives in a highway EIA process

The use of an Integrated Landscape Ecological Approach on the evaluation of the impact of a proposed highway over a high sensitive habitat of the highly endangered Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardina L) is described. This method prevents the occurrence of common errors in the decision making process by allowing an increased knowledge of the ecological constraints of the project. It builds, consequently, a very powerful tool for nature conservation assessment and for the ecological evaluation and the decision process in situations of low ecological data availability. The conflict of arguments on the consistency of the conclusions of the method is also described.     

干旱区内陆艾比湖流域平原区景观生态安全评价研究

在构建基于景观尺度的生态安全评价模型基础上,分析了1990-2005年干旱区内陆艾比湖流域平原区的景观生态安全变化特征。结果表明:研究区景观生态安全状况可以分为3个层次,并以河流、湖泊及沼泽为主的湿地景观所在区域的生态安全程度相对较高。1990-2005年,研究区生态安全状况呈现"V"字型变化趋势,其中生态安全评价指数相对较低区域的面积所占比例呈现先增加后减少、总体上趋于增加的状态;而生态安全指数相对较高区域的面积所占比例呈现先减少后增加、总体上趋于减少的状态。     

Human–wildlife coexistence in a changing world

Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) is a key topic in conservation and agricultural research. Decision makers need evidence-based information to design sustainable management plans and policy instruments. However, providing objective decision support can be challenging because realities and perceptions of human–wildlife interactions vary widely between and within rural, urban, and peri-urban areas. Land users who incur costs through wildlife argue that wildlife-related losses should be compensated and that prevention should be subsidized. Supporters of human–wildlife coexistence policies, such as urban-dwelling people, may not face threats to their livelihoods from wildlife. Such spatial heterogeneity in the cost and benefits of living with wildlife is germane in most contemporary societies. This Special Section features contributions on wildlife-induced damages that range from human perspectives (land use, psychology, governance, local attitudes and perceptions, costs and benefits, and HWC and coexistence theory) to ecological perspectives (animal behavior). Building on current literature and articles in this section, we developed a conceptual model to help frame HWC and coexistence dimensions. The framework can be used to determine damage prevention implementation levels and approaches to HWC resolution. Our synthesis revealed that inter- and transdisciplinary approaches and multilevel governance approaches can help stakeholders and institutions implement sustainable management strategies that promote human–wildlife coexistence.     

Associations of Forest Cover,Fragment Area,and Connectivity with Neotropical Understory Bird Species Richness and Abundance

Theoretical and empirical studies demonstrate that the total amount of forest and the size and connectivity of fragments have nonlinear effects on species survival. We tested how habitat amount and configuration affect understory bird species richness and abundance. We used mist nets (almost 34,000 net hours) to sample birds in 53 Atlantic Forest fragments in southeastern Brazil. Fragments were distributed among 3 10,800‐ha landscapes. The remaining forest in these landscapes was below (10% forest cover), similar to (30%), and above (50%) the theoretical fragmentation threshold (approximately 30%) below which the effects of fragmentation should be intensified. Species‐richness estimates were significantly higher (F= 3715, p = 0.00) where 50% of the forest remained, which suggests a species occurrence threshold of 30–50% forest, which is higher than usually occurs (<30%). Relations between forest cover and species richness differed depending on species sensitivity to forest conversion and fragmentation. For less sensitive species, species richness decreased as forest cover increased, whereas for highly sensitive species the opposite occurred. For sensitive species, species richness and the amount of forest cover were positively related, particularly when forest cover was 30–50%. Fragment size and connectivity were related to species richness and abundance in all landscapes, not just below the 30% threshold. Where 10% of the forest remained, fragment size was more related to species richness and abundance than connectivity. However, the relation between connectivity and species richness and abundance was stronger where 30% of the landscape was forested. Where 50% of the landscape was forested, fragment size and connectivity were both related to species richness and abundance. Our results demonstrated a rapid loss of species at relatively high levels of forest cover (30–50%). Highly sensitive species were 3‐4 times more common above the 30–50% threshold than below it; however, our results do not support a unique fragmentation threshold. Asociaciones de la Cobertura Forestal, Superficie del Fragmento y Conectividad con la Riqueza y Abundancia de Aves Neotropicales de Sotobosque     

公众对耕地保护及多功能价值的认知与参与意愿研究——基于浙江省苍南县的实证分析

通过参与性访谈对苍南县214名调查对象进行了分层随机抽样调查,研究了公众对耕地保护及其多功能价值的认知与参与意愿,并根据受访者所从事行业将其分为非农和农业两组对象进行比较分析.结果表明:土地政策的稳定性和长效性,以及农业收益高低是影响农户耕地保护和投资的主要因素.公众耕地保护意识较强,超过85%的受访者认为保护耕地很重要.但公众对于耕地保护的支付意愿不高,这点在农业受访者中表现尤为突出.公众对于耕地多功能性的认知存在较大的不足和误区,尤其是对耕地的生态功能方面的认识.通过逻辑回归分析发现,公众的文化程度、年龄和所从事的行业是影响他们对耕地保护及其多功能性认知与参与意愿的主要因素.     

Mechanistic understanding of human–wildlife conflict through a novel application of dynamic occupancy models

Crop and livestock depredation by wildlife is a primary driver of human–wildlife conflict, a problem that threatens the coexistence of people and wildlife globally. Understanding mechanisms that underlie depredation patterns holds the key to mitigating conflicts across time and space. However, most studies do not consider imperfect detection and reporting of conflicts, which may lead to incorrect inference regarding its spatiotemporal drivers. We applied dynamic occupancy models to elephant crop depredation data from India between 2005 and 2011 to estimate crop depredation occurrence and model its underlying dynamics as a function of spatiotemporal covariates while accounting for imperfect detection of conflicts. The probability of detecting conflicts was consistently <1.0 and was negatively influenced by distance to roads and elevation gradient, averaging 0.08–0.56 across primary periods (distinct agricultural seasons within each year). The probability of crop depredation occurrence ranged from 0.29 (SE 0.09) to 0.96 (SE 0.04). The probability that sites raided by elephants in primary period t would not be raided in primary period t + 1 varied with elevation gradient in different seasons and was influenced negatively by mean rainfall and village density and positively by distance to forests. Negative effects of rainfall variation and distance to forests best explained variation in the probability that sites not raided by elephants in primary period t would be raided in primary period t + 1. With our novel application of occupancy models, we teased apart the spatiotemporal drivers of conflicts from factors that influence how they are observed, thereby allowing more reliable inference on mechanisms underlying observed conflict patterns. We found that factors associated with increased crop accessibility and availability (e.g., distance to forests and rainfall patterns) were key drivers of elephant crop depredation dynamics. Such an understanding is essential for rigorous prediction of future conflicts, a critical requirement for effective conflict management in the context of increasing human–wildlife interactions.     

利用MCMP微生物制剂减少剩余污泥产量的研究

通过在3组日处理规模为5m^3／d的活性污泥法装置中进行连续进出水试验，考察了投加多功能复合微生物制剂（multifunctional compound micro—organisms preparation，MCMP）对污水处理过程中剩余污泥减量的影响。中试研究结果表明，曝气池中，每次MCMP菌剂加入量为日处理水量的0．02％～0．04％的条件下，运行2个月装置未排放剩余污泥，有效地实现剩余污泥源头减量的预期要求。该技术不增加或改变原有污水处理工艺和运行方式，不增加处理系统总的动力消耗，并且不会对出水水质产生不良影响。     

西藏南部地区旅游资源特征

受复杂地质作用、强烈新构造运动以及藏族传统文化的影响,在西藏这块广袤无垠的高原环境中孕育了丰富而独具特色的自然景观、地质遗迹景观和人文景观等多种多样的旅游资源,其中西藏南部地区居多而集中,为今天充分开发该地区的旅游资源提供了基础和前提。但西藏地区自然环境恶劣,生态系统极其脆弱,很容易受到破坏,且难以恢复。本文在介绍西藏南部地区旅游资源的基础上,初步提出了开发该地区旅游资源的措施性建议。