Lichen recolonization in the city of Toruń

Together with the decreasing pollution load in the atmosphere, particularly with sulphur oxides, one can observe inhibition of the process of lichens’ biota impoverishment in areas with the increased anthropopressure. Since the end of the 1970s, in most of the cities of Western Europe, the process of recolonization by lichens has been observed. Recently, this phenomenon has been described also in Poland. As a consequence of lichenological researches, carried out in the city of Toruń between 2001 and 2010, as well as based on the literature data, one can confirm the first symptoms of the process of recolonization by these organisms within the city area. In this paper, the most spectacular examples are presented in order to illustrate the early process of recolonization by epiphytic lichens in the city of Toruń during the last 60 years

Lichen recolonization in the city of Toruń

Together with the decreasing pollution load in the atmosphere, particularly with sulphur oxides, one can observe inhibition of the process of lichens’ biota impoverishment in areas with the increased anthropopressure. Since the end of the 1970s, in most of the cities of Western Europe, the process of recolonization by lichens has been observed. Recently, this phenomenon has been described also in Poland. As a consequence of lichenological researches, carried out in the city of Toruń between 2001 and 2010, as well as based on the literature data, one can confirm the first symptoms of the process of recolonization by these organisms within the city area. In this paper, the most spectacular examples are presented in order to illustrate the early process of recolonization by epiphytic lichens in the city of Toruń during the last 60 years

Offshoring (or Offshore Outsourcing) and Job Loss Among U.S. Workers

[Excerpt] Offshoring, also known as offshore outsourcing, is the term that came into use more than a decade ago to describe a practice among companies located in the United States of contracting with businesses beyond U.S. borders to perform services that would otherwise have been provided by in-house employees in white-collar occupations (e.g., computer programmers and systems designers, accounting clerks and accountants). The term is equally applicable to U.S. firms’ offshoring the jobs of blue-collar workers on textile and auto assembly lines, for example, which has been taking place for many decades. The extension of offshoring from U.S. manufacturers to service providers has heightened public policy concerns about the extent of job loss and the adequacy of existing programs to help unemployed workers adjust to the changing mix of jobs located in the United States so they can find new positions

Executive Leadership Development As A Strategy For Long Term Business Success

This article discusses executive leadership development as a strategy for long term business success.  Sustainable organizational health depends in large part on a steady stream of upper level leaders who have the values, skills, competencies and behaviors necessary for organizational advancement. Cutting edge leadership development is discussed with specific examples from the Top 20 leadership companies as identified by Hewitt Associates in 2005.  Specific leadership development programs are discussed including mentoring, coaching and shadowing and guidelines are suggested for effective leadership development

Monitoring the Influence of Acid Deposition on Soil and Implications to Forest Health in the Daniel Boone National Forest

Combustion of fossil fuels has contributed to many environmental problems including acid deposition. The Clean Air Act (CAA) was created to reduce ecological problems by cutting emissions of sulfur and nitrogen. Reduced emissions and rainfall concentrations of acidic ions have been observed since the enactment of the CAA, but soils continue to receive some acid inputs. Soils sensitive to acid deposition have been found to have low pH, a loss of base cations and a shift in the mineral phase controlling the activity of Al3+ and/or SO42-. If inputs continue, soil may be depleted of base cations and saturated with Al and could cause low forest productivity. Soil solutions from lysimeters were taken in the Daniel Boone National Forest to evaluate potential impacts of acid deposition. In addition, tree-ring growth and chemical analysis created a timeline of forest health and ion accumulation. Physicochemical characteristics of the soils revealed that sites were very low in base saturation and pH and high in exchangeable acidity. Soil solution data indicated that sites periodically received high acid inputs leading to saturation of Al in soils and the formation of Al-hydroxy-sulfate minerals. Given these conditions, long-term changes in soil chemistry from acid deposition are acknowledged

Organizations as Place Builders

We argue that the role of organizations as agents in the construction of place has been overlooked in the management and organizations literature. Using concepts from sociology, cultural geography, and management, we develop a typology that illustrates how organizations contribute to the social construction of place. This typology presents an analytic scheme for examining the place-building characteristics of organizations and a basis for developing theories on the interdependence between places and organizations

Amending the Treatment of Defense Production Enterprises Under the U.S. Exon-Florio Provision: A Move Toward Protectionism or Globalism

Discusses the Exon-Florio Provision of the Omnibus Trade & Competitiveness Act. It gives the President of the United States the power to prohibit or to prevent on a temporary basis a non-U.S. corporation from merging with or acquiring a U.S. corporation when the transaction could potentially impair U.S. national security. The Note examines U.S. legislation that regulates direct investment and argues that the U.S. Congress should amend Exon-Florio in order to focus and strengthen the Provision\u27s application to transactions involving U.S. defense production companies. Part I of this Note sets forth the existing procedural and administrative requirements of Exon-Florio and explains several modifications to the Provision that Congress has recently enacted. Part II outlines additional proposed modifications to Exon-Florio that have been presented before Congress and considers such proposals with respect to a recent case involving the Provision. Part III argues that Congress should amend Exon-Florio in order to focus and confine the Provision\u27s application to national defense. This Note concludes that such modifications would be justifiable because they would define national defense as a narrow exception to the traditional U.S. globalist trade policy and, consequently, benefit all those involved in international mergers, acquisitions and takeovers in the United States