Perception of native grasslands in south-eastern Australia: some implications for landscape aesthetics and other landscape values

Grasslands are considered to be Australia’s most threatened ecosystems, yet relatively little is known about human preferences and attitudes which contribute to continued degradation of these landscapes. In a study conducted in south-eastern Australia, landholders were asked to assess the agricultural, ecological and aesthetic value of native grassland and other rural landscapes. The results confirm suggestions of low regard for treeless landscapes. Landholders’ preferences for native grass on their own property appear most closely related to the perceived aesthetic value of the landscape. This paper discusses the implication of these findings for programs seeking to protect native grasslands on private properties

Toxic metal enrichment and boating intensity: sediment records of antifoulant copper in shallow lakes of eastern England

Tributyltin (TBT), an aqueous biocide derived from antifouling paint pollution, is known to have impacted coastal marine ecosystems, and has been reported in the sediment of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, a network of rivers and shallow lakes in eastern England. In the marine environment, the 1987 TBT ban has resulted in expanded use of alternative biocides, raising the question of whether these products too have impacted the Broads ecosystem and freshwaters in general. Here we examine the lake sediment record in the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads for contamination by copper (Cu) (as an active biocide agent) and zinc (Zn) (as a component of booster biocides), to assess their occurrence and potential for causing environmental harm in freshwater ecosystems. We find that, after the introduction of leisure boating, there is a statistically significant difference in Cu enrichment between heavily and lightly boated sites, while no such difference exists prior to this time. At the heavily boated sites the onset of Cu enrichment coincides with a period of rapid increase in leisure boating. Such enrichment is maintained to the present day, with some evidence of continued increase. We conclude that Cu-based antifouling has measurably contaminated lakes exposed to boating, at concentrations high enough to cause ecological harm. Similar findings can be expected at other boated freshwater ecosystems elsewhere in the world

Change in Terrestrial Human Footprint Drives Continued Loss of Intact Ecosystems

Human pressure mapping is important for understanding humanity's role in shaping Earth's patterns and processes. We provide the latest maps of the terrestrial human footprint and provide an assessment of change in human pressure across Earth. Between 2000 and 2013, 1.9 million km2 of land relatively free of human disturbance became highly modified. Our results show that humanity's footprint is eroding Earth's last intact ecosystems and that greater efforts are urgently needed to retain them

Different landscape factors explain establishment and persistence of river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) in agricultural landscapes of southeast Queensland

Riparian and floodplain ecosystems in production landscapes are considerably degraded and under continued pressure from surrounding land use. However, little is known about how remnant ecosystems respond to land use and hydrological factors in small non-riverine wetlands. River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) is a dominant tree species within these scattered remnants, which provides critical ecological functions for the remaining biodiversity. In this study, we investigated how different life stages of E. camaldulensis responded to land use and hydrological variables in the Condamine catchment of south east Queensland. We used logistic regression to develop models for different life stages of E. camaldulensis in two regions with differing land use intensity histories. Broad regional differences and land use practices at smaller scales best explained differences in E. camaldulensis occurrence for younger life stages, while hydrology (groundwater and connectivity to rivers) and land use practices (dryland agriculture and grazing) best explained differences in older life stages. The results indicate that different factors are important in determining the establishment and persistence of E. camaldulensis and that land use practices at the regional scale are key factors in determining the establishment and potential future persistence of E. camaldulensis in floodplain wetlands

Biogeodynamics in tropical and boreal forests

Biogeodynamical interactions in tropical and boreal forest ecosystems are important regionally and globally. These ecosystems form the major continental carbon pools, and processes within these biomes control carbon dioxide flux rates between the continents and the atmosphere. Continued ecodynamic disruptions in these forests regions may perturb regional and possibly global carbon, energy and hydrosphere interactions

SHRIMP MARICULTURE DEVELOPMENT IN ECUADOR: SOME RESOURCE POLICY ISSUES

During the past 15 years, Ecuador has become the Western Hemisphere's leading producer and exporter of shrimp. Growth has come about largely through mariculture development. About 8,000 metric tons (MT) of shrimp have been captured off the Ecuadorian coast each year since the late 1970s. Meanwhile, pond output has increased several-fold, from less than 5,000 MT in 1979 to over 100,000 MT 12 years later (Table 1). Mariculture has expanded largely at the expense of renewable natural resources. Mangrove swamps, characterized by extremely high biological productivity and, therefore, a critical element of coastal ecosystems, have been displaced. In addition, shrimp postlarvae (PL) collection has at times been excessive and wastewater emissions from some enterprises harm the environment. Mariculture also suffers from water pollution from agricultural, urban, and industrial sources. This paper first describes the extent and consequences of coastal ecosystem disturbance; then presents a causal analysis of environmental problems. Policies contributing to depletive management of wetlands and related resources are similar to policies stimulating tropical deforestation. The tenurial regime rewards those who convert coastal ecosystems into shrimp ponds, just as frontier property arrangements encourage agricultural colonists to convert natural ecosystems into farmland (Southgate 1990). In addition, mariculture's geographic expansion, like agriculture's, has been accelerated by inadequate spending on education, research, and extension (Southgate 1991). If this policy regime remains unchanged, continued deterioration of Ecuador's coastal ecosystems is inevitable.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Land Degradation in the Sahel: An Application of Biophysical Modeling in the Optimal Control Setting

Low-input farming practices in many parts of the developing world have pushed cultivation onto marginal lands. Sustainability of already fragile ecosystems is threatened. Farmers place a high priority on satisfying subsistence food needs with on-farm production. Population pressure is high throughout much of Sub-Saharan Africa. Farmers in those regions are challenged by the need to put continually more food on their table over the coming years. An optimal control model was developed to investigate alternative farming practices within this setting. Namely, whether farmers would choose continued land expansion of if they would adopt crop intensive practices. The model included an environmental subcomponent to estimate the degradation costs from continued expansion onto marginal areas. The modeling activities from the Sahel of West African reinforce farmers' observed propensity to clear new land in lieu of crop intensification. Model activities suggest an important role for crop intensification under adequate policy conditions as well as the need to introduce new technology before degradation erodes its potential.Land Economics/Use,

Society of American Foresters ISU Student Chapter

The Society of American Foresters is a non-profit Organization for Professional foresters in the United States. SAF’s mission is to advance education and technology, to establish professional excellence, and to guarantee continued health and use of forest ecosystems

Air and Water Quality under Pressure in Africa

The African continent has large untapped environmental resources: together with Latin America and the Caribbean, the continent has the largest reserve of agricultural land, accounting for 80 per cent of the global total.Africa is home to important biodiversity assets and ecosystems, including the Congo Basin rainforest – the second largest tropical rainforest in the world. However, the continent's natural capital is under pressure from urbanization and industrialization as well as from a growing population. This has resulted in the degradation of air, land and water quality.Poverty and lack of investment has accelerated this deterioration in many regions, preventing people from utilizing the continent's natural resources in a sustainable manner.Sustainable management of natural capital is key to ensuring continued economic development of the continent. The GEO-6 presents the state of play for air, water and land in Africa and looks at how these resources can be tackled

The Cost-Effectiveness of Conservation Payments

Intact ecosystems provide important global services. Many valuable ecosystems are located in low-income countries in which citizens are not in a position to provide global public goods gratis. To address this problem, international conservation and development donors have been making substantial investments in habitat conservation. Among the more common conservation schemes are interventions aimed at encouraging commercial activities that produce ecosystem services as joint products. We argue that it would be more cost-effective to pay for conservation performance directly. We use a simple yet general model to establish three conclusions. First, the overall cost of conservation is least when direct payments are employed. Second, the donor will generally find direct payments more cost-effective. Third, the preferences of donors and eco-entrepreneurs are opposed: when the donor prefers direct payments, the eco-entrepreneur prefers indirect subsidies. There are a number of reasons why direct incentive programs may be difficult to implement. We argue, however, that any approach to conservation will face similar challenges. Furthermore, we demonstrate with an empirical example that direct payment initiatives can offer spectacular cost-savings relative to less direct approaches. We therefore believe that continued experimentation with direct conservation incentives in the developing world is warranted and will prove successful.