Engaging communities in municipal sustainability planning: the use of communication strategies and social networks in Alberta

In this paper we examine and compare communication processes aimed at building social networks and increasing citizen engagement in two communities participating in a municipal sustainability planning (MSP) pilot programme in Alberta, Canada, initiated by the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA). Data were gathered through qualitative semi-structured interviews and documentary review. In soliciting citizen engagement, each community utilised a variety of communication methods, based on available resources and on-going evaluation of community responses. In both cases, citizens developed a shared vision of a preferred future for their community, aided by a reconfiguration of their internal and external social networks. In addition to drawing upon and strengthening bonding relationships within the community, bridging relationships with external actors and agencies promoted knowledge mobilisation that aided in planning and transitioning towards sustainability. Both communities faced challenges as well, which the authors discuss in relation to the sustainability of MSP planning.     

Value Plurality among Conservation Professionals

Abstract: Debate on the values that underpin conservation science is rarely based on empirical analysis of the values conservation professionals actually hold. We used Q methodology to investigate the values held by international conservation professionals who attended the annual Student Conference in Conservation Science at the University of Cambridge (U.K.) in 2008 and 2009. The methodology offers a quantitative means of examining human subjectivity. It differs from standard opinion surveys in that individual respondents record the way they feel about statements relative to other statements, which forces them to focus their attention on the issues they believe are most important. The analysis extracts the diverse viewpoints of the respondents, and factor analysis is used to reduce the viewpoints to a smaller set of factors that reflect shared ways of thinking. The junior conservation professionals attending the conference did not share a unifying set of core values; rather, they held a complex series of ideas and a plurality of opinions about conservation and how it should be pursued. This diversity of values empirically challenges recent proposals for conservation professionals to unite behind a single philosophy. Attempts to forge an artificial consensus may be counterproductive to the overall goals conservation professionals are pursuing.     

A metapopulation approach of the dynamics of arthropods from Mediterranean-type ecosystems

In this paper we developed a general stage-structured, Leslie-type model, suitable to simulate dynamics of soil arthropods under typical Mediterranean conditions. In order to explore arthropods’ life-history strategies in relation to enhanced spatial heterogeneity of the Mediterranean ecosystems, metapopulation characteristics were considered and different habitat quality regimes, in terms of dominant microclimatic conditions, were taken into account. Environmental stochasticity in temperature and humidity was incorporated into the model, and an elasticity analysis was conducted to quantify contribution of different life-history traits to metapopulation growth rate. The application of the model revealed well-known life-cycle characteristics of Mediterranean arthropods, such as seasonally fluctuating population sizes and skewing phenologies, a fact that confirms models’ reliability. Furthermore, the model seems able to elucidate controversial points of the animals’ life-cycle development, such as the long-term maintenance of populations in the field and the underlying mechanisms related to the adjustment to the specific features of the Mediterranean ecosystem. Subpopulations inhabiting various microsites display different dynamics and the interaction between these subpopulations, via dispersion, seems to be able to ensure stochastic equilibrium for the system. Dispersal appears to play a decisive role, allowing arthropods to conform to spatial severities and habitats fragmentation, rescuing individuals and recolonizing previously extinct habitats.     

Identifying Reefs of Hope and Hopeful Actions: Contextualizing Environmental, Ecological, and Social Parameters to Respond Effectively to Climate Change

Abstract:  Priorities for conservation, management, and associated activities will differ based on the interplay between nearness of ecosystems to full recovery from a disturbance (pristineness), susceptibility to climate change (environmental susceptibility [ES]), and capacity of human communities to cope with and adapt to change (social adaptive capacity [AC]). We studied 24 human communities and adjacent coral reef ecosystems in 5 countries of the southwestern Indian Ocean. We used ecological measures of abundance and diversity of fishes and corals, estimated reef pristineness, and conducted socioeconomic household surveys to determine the AC of communities adjacent to selected coral reefs. We also used Web-based oceanographic and coral mortality data to predict each site's ES to climate warming. Coral reefs of Mauritius and eastern Madagascar had low ES and consequently were not predicted to be affected strongly by warm water, although these sites were differentiated by the AC of the human community. The higher AC in Mauritius may increase the chances for successful self-initiated recovery and protective management of reefs of this island. In contrast, Madagascar may require donor support to build AC as a prerequisite to preservation efforts. The Seychelles and Kenya had high ES, but their levels of AC and disturbance differed. The high AC in the Seychelles could be used to develop alternatives to dependence on coral reef resources and reduce the effects of climate change. Pristineness weighted toward measures of fish recovery was greatest for Kenya's marine protected areas; however, most protected areas in the region were far from pristine. Conservation priorities and actions with realistic chances for success require knowledge of where socioecological systems lie among the 3 axes of environment, ecology, and society.     

Some Guiding Concepts for Conservation Biology

Abstract: The search for generalities in ecology has often been thwarted by contingency and ecological complexity that limit the development of predictive rules. We present a set of concepts that we believe succinctly expresses some of the fundamental ideas in conservation biology. (1) Successful conservation management requires explicit goals and objectives. (2) The overall goal of biodiversity management will usually be to maintain or restore biodiversity, not to maximize species richness. (3) A holistic approach is needed to solve conservation problems. (4) Diverse approaches to management can provide diverse environmental conditions and mitigate risk. (5) Using nature's template is important for guiding conservation management, but it is not a panacea. (6) Focusing on causes not symptoms enhances efficacy and efficiency of conservation actions. (7) Every species and ecosystem is unique, to some degree. (8) Threshold responses are important but not ubiquitous. (9) Multiple stressors often exert critical effects on species and ecosystems. (10) Human values are variable and dynamic and significantly shape conservation efforts. We believe most conservation biologists will broadly agree these concepts are important. That said, an important part of the maturation of conservation biology as a discipline is constructive debate about additional or alternative concepts to those we have proposed here. Therefore, we have established a web‐based, online process for further discussion of the concepts outlined in this paper and developing additional ones.     

秦皇岛“国际旅游名城”建设中高素质涉外旅游人才的培养策略

建设"国际旅游名城"不可或缺的人力资源之一是高素质的涉外旅游人才。从秦皇岛"旅游立市"及创建"国际旅游名城"的大背景出发,分析秦皇岛面临的国际旅游发展机遇,阐述涉外旅游人才的种类和含义,并针对所需人才特点提出了培养思路和策略。     

公众对煤矿区地质灾害的感知与适应行为研究

煤矿区的地质灾害较为常见,而且随着开采时间的推移地质灾害问题日益严重。公众对煤矿区地质灾害的感知与适应行为直接与他们的生命财产相关,同时还关系到政策法规的制定。通过对煤矿区公众的问卷调查发现,公众对地质灾害的严重程度和灾害原因感知是比较准确的,但仍有相当比例的公众选择采取无效的紧急适应行为,有近三分之一的公众没有考虑采用迁移的适应行为。公众对煤矿区地质灾害适应行为的背后涉及利益相关方的博弈。     

Laying a solid foundation for sustainable development in Bolivian mountain villages

In Bolivia, recent decentralisation policies have broadened the participation of local actors in development processes. However, development is far from sustainable, and poverty and natural resources degradation still increase. The challenge is to develop strategies that achieve the genuine participation of poor farmers in natural resources management and sustainable development. The logical strategy, which was developed and validated in five Bolivian mountain villages, is an example. In this strategy, first a solid foundation for sustainable development is laid, with activities focussing on five basic conditions for sustainable development in rural villages: leadership and organisation, responsible participation, effective collaboration, mutual trust and environmental awareness. The results show that the existence of a solid foundation is crucial for the success of other development activities, such as soil and water conservation activities. However, given that 2 years after the project’s withdrawal the firmness of the foundation had slightly weakened, it was concluded that a better integration of these villages in local development processes is essential to profit from the new dynamics. This is especially true for soil and water conservation. To achieve this integration, municipalities—with the support of international development agencies—must be encouraged to invest in laying this solid foundation in rural villages and in facilitating follow-up activities to keep the dynamic process going. This study shows that such investments result in better organised villages, more equality, and the genuine participation of more people in sustainable village development. Effective collaboration and accountability at institutional level are, however, required.     

Urban contractual agreements as an adaptive governance strategy: under what conditions do they work in multi-level cooperation?

ABSTRACT

The Norwegian urban growth agreement (UGA) is a governance platform combining transport-infrastructure development with land-use and transport policy. It is a policy package of measures involving network cooperation between national, regional and local government levels established to coordinate transport and land-use development. Shared responsibility for goal achievement, autonomy and learning and adaptation as new knowledge and experience arise are clear prerequisites for the UGAs. This makes it relevant to investigate the conditions for the UGAs to work as an adaptive governance strategy because their central features are in line with the attributes of adaptive governance. Further, adaptive governance is an approach to handle complex problems like transport development issues. The study shows that UGAs have several strengths in terms of autonomy and learning. However, the multi-level cooperation in the UGAs is framed by complex underlying structures of roles and powers, which challenge the working and legitimacy of the governance structures. Multi-level adaptive governance processes like the UGAs require attention to issues of power and legitimacy. Securing transparency and democratic anchorage is paramount in bringing such processes in line with the intended benefits of adaptive governance.     

Comparison of the Vegetation and Seed Bank on Hedge Banks of Different Ages in Brittany,France

The composition of the herbaceous cover and the seed bank of old and recent hedge banks in Brittany were studied and compared. Concentration method was used for seed bank samples. Grimes plant strategies were used to explain observed patterns. The analysis of the seed bank of these hedge banks showed that the species richness and diversity differed in relation to the date of construction of the hedge banks. The seed banks of recent hedge banks were richer and more diversified than those of old hedge banks. Differences in the floristic composition of the established plant cover between the recent and old hedge banks were determined by multivariate analyses. The species exclusively found in the seed bank and in the herb cover of recent hedge banks were mainly grassland species, whereas the species that only occurred on old hedge banks tended to be woodland species. The floristic composition of the two compartments (established vegetation and seed bank) was very different. A multivariate analysis revealed that the difference between the composition of the seed banks of recent and old hedge banks was less than that between the composition of the established vegetation and seed bank of hedge banks of the same age. Both seed bank and vegetation of recent hedge banks were dominated by ruderal species, whereas old hedge vegetation was dominated by stress-tolerant woodland species, indicating that mechanically constructed hedge banks may impose limitations on colonization by late woodland species.