Linking ecosystem services and circuit theory to identify ecological security patterns

The rapid process of urbanization, accompanied by the sharp increase of urban population and expansion of artificial surface, has resulted in the loss of natural ecosystems and the degradation of ecosystem services. Identifying and protecting key places that have high importance for ecological sustainability are great challenges. Ecological security patterns are such an integrated approach to protecting regional ecological sustainability. In this study, taking Yunnan Province, China as a case study area, ecological sources were identified through ecosystem services, and circuit theory was used to model ecosystem processes in heterogeneous landscapes via calculating the ‘resistance’ or ‘current’, and thus to identify ecological corridors and key ecological nodes. The results showed that, ecological security patterns included 66 ecological sources, 186 ecological corridors, 24 pinch-points and 10 barriers. In details, the ecological sources were mainly distributed in the southwest and northwest of Yunnan Province, with the ecological corridors locating along the high mountains, and both ecological sources and corridors were mostly covered with forest land. Pinch-points covered by forest land and cultivated land, were distributed in the middle of Yunnan Province along the rivers. Approximately 75.9% nature reserves were located in the identified ecological sources, and the remainings were mainly distributed in eastern Yunnan Province with small area, showing the effectiveness in identifying ecological security patterns. Among 81 projects of low–slope hill development carried out in Yunnan Province, 46.9% showed potential human stress on regional ecological security. Based on ecosystem services and circuit theory, this study provides a new approach to identifying the spatial range of ecological corridors and the specific location of key nodes for effective ecological conservation and restoration

Tropical fruit tree diversity: good practices for in situ and on-farm conservation

Farmers have developed a range of agricultural practices to sustainably use and maintain a wide diversity of crop species in many parts of the world. This book documents good practices innovated by farmers and collects key reviews on good practices from global experts, not only from the case study countries but also from Brazil, China and other parts of Asia and Latin America

Nature Island Tourism: Applying an Eco-tourism Sustainability Framework to the Island of Dominica

Eco-tourism continues to experience fast growth, as the desire for more sustainable tourism amongst tourists increases and as economic situations in developing countries demand new avenues for development. In many Caribbean and other developing countries, tourism serves as a promising alternative for development in the face of struggling primary industries and is identified as a possible means through which sustainable development can be achieved. However, not many Caribbean islands are developing and benefiting from an eco-tourism defined as tourism which demands a high level of human responsibility involving “active contribution towards conservation and/or the improvement of host community welfare” (Stone, 2002:16). The Caribbean island of Dominica will benefit greatly from an assessment of its present approach to eco-tourism development and recommendations for realizing more positive contributions to sustainability. The case study of Dominica was used, together with information from a sustainability and sustainable tourism literature review, to (1) develop a comprehensive eco-tourism sustainability framework, and (2) test its application by exploring the current practice of eco-tourism on the island. The literature review revealed the current trends and debates surrounding sustainability and sustainable tourism. This was used to create an initial framework for sustainable tourism, which was subsequently elaborated to reflect the island’s situation. Key informant interviews from the public and private sectors ensured varied perspectives, which were corroborated by participant observations and other secondary research to highlight key issues affecting tourism on the island. This research has revealed that early attempts at conservation and sustainability by the Forestry Division, though not driven by tourism, contributed to preservation of the physical attractions on the island. The major factors affecting the potential for sustainable eco-tourism in Dominica were identified as the geo-physical setting, political/economic motivations, trade agreements, culture, social capital, attitudes, behaviour, habits and customs, environmental considerations, public awareness, outreach, human resource development, and education, site development, and external assistance/ collaboration for research. Continued growth and development of tourism are hindered by limited resources (financial, physical, and human), insufficient collaboration between and among private and public sectors, weak law and enforcement, poor physical planning, conflicting Government priorities, the rugged topography, the dilemma of needing to increase number of visitors while also protecting the environment, the challenge of partitioning the resources between traditional and recreational users while maintaining sustainable use of resources, climate change, changes in the world economy, and the intrinsic vulnerability of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). In light of the myriad of challenges to sustainable eco-tourism development and key considerations from the eco-tourism sustainability framework, the recommendations are focused on addressing the most significant challenges, by suggesting an action plan geared towards improving solid waste management planning and disaster management planning; developing a national stewardship plan to build awareness about environmental protection, conservation and responsibility; and a literacy training programme for tourism service providers who may be illiterate. The eco-tourism sustainability framework and recommendations emerging from the test of its application can guide planning and management within this field and improve the capacity for eco-tourism to make more positive contributions to sustainability on the island of Dominica and more generally, throughout other Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

Damage, diversity and genetic vulnerability: The role of crop genetic diversity in the agricultural production system to reduce pest and disease damage: Proceedings of an International Symposium 15-17 February 2011, Rabat, Morocco

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a widely recognized ecosystem approach to crop production and protection that combines different management strategies and practices to grow healthy crops and minimize the use of pesticides. However, IPM methods have until recently made limited use of intra-specific diversity to manage pests and diseases. The chapters in this volume are based on results from research which began in 2002, to collect standardized information from farmers on crop varietal diversity, sources of traditional and modern planting materials, and disease management practices that related to crop varietal diversity

PATTERNS OF CONNECTIVITY IN CORAL REEF FISHES ACROSS THREE SPATIAL SCALES

Ph.D

Geographic Citizen Science Design

Little did Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and other ‘gentlemen scientists’ know, when they were making their scientific discoveries, that some centuries later they would inspire a new field of scientific practice and innovation, called citizen science. The current growth and availability of citizen science projects and relevant applications to support citizen involvement is massive; every citizen has an opportunity to become a scientist and contribute to a scientific discipline, without having any professional qualifications. With geographic interfaces being the common approach to support collection, analysis and dissemination of data contributed by participants, ‘geographic citizen science’ is being approached from different angles. Geographic Citizen Science Design takes an anthropological and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) stance to provide the theoretical and methodological foundations to support the design, development and evaluation of citizen science projects and their user-friendly applications. Through a careful selection of case studies in the urban and non-urban contexts of the Global North and South, the chapters provide insights into the design and interaction barriers, as well as on the lessons learned from the engagement of a diverse set of participants; for example, literate and non-literate people with a range of technical skills, and with different cultural backgrounds. Looking at the field through the lenses of specific case studies, the book captures the current state of the art in research and development of geographic citizen science and provides critical insight to inform technological innovation and future research in this area