Key Success Factors and Barriers for Small Businesses: Comparative Analysis

AbstractThis paper analyses the current situation of small businesses, their outlook and their problems in Europe and in Russia. The number of small businesses opened, legislative system, number of self-employed without employees, influence of bureaucratic system on small business's life, unemployment and corruption are considered in this study. The object of this paper is understanding what can modify the life of small companies. Thus the analysis of every factor is useful to understand how the economy could change, what is correct and what resolutions make the life of small businesses better. The analysis is made using data from Eurostat, Rosstat, and Fedstat (an OECD institutional website), studying how values of indicators have changed during recent years. The results clearly show that the development of small companies is correlated with the development of good institutions, a sane community and trust and optimism in economy and small business sector

Evaluación de la conectividad estructural y funcional en el corredor de conservación Podocarpus-Yacuambi, Ecuador

Con el objetivo de determinar el grado de conectividad estructural en el corredor de conectividad Podocarpus-Yacuambi (Yawi-sumak) en el sur del Ecuador, se evaluaron métricas del paisaje y se analizó la conectividad funcional en tres especies de mamíferos con requerimientos ecológicos contrastantes: Tapirus pinchaque, Sturnira erythromos y Cebus albifrons. El corredor tiene una extensión de 315346 hectáreas, la cobertura con la mayor proporción es el bosque (71%), paisaje correspondiente a un tipo de alteración “jaspeada”; sin embargo, este uso del suelo tuvo una de las mayores densidades de fragmento (0,25/100 ha), la mayor densidad de borde, contraste de borde y uno de los más bajos índices de conectividad, lo cual es indicativo de fragmentación. A nivel de paisaje, el índice de contagio fue de 74% y la conectividad con un umbral de distancia de 40 Km alcanzó el 74%. El hábitat óptimo para el Tapirus pinchaque abarcó la mayor proporción del corredor (78%), para Sturnira erythromos fue de 72%, mientras que Cebus albifrons obtuvo (29%). Los fragmentos de hábitat que pueden servir como puentes de paso para las tres especies se encuentran principalmente en los poblados de Tutupali, 28 de mayo e Imbana, por lo que es necesario priorizar estas áreas para hacer proyectos de producción sostenible y conservación. Aunque el bosque abarca una gran proporción de la zona, la conectividad estructural es baja debido a la fragmentación. La conectividad funcional para el tapir y el murciélago es óptima; no obstante, existen cuellos de botella en las zonas fragmentadas.In order to determine the degree of structural connectivity in the Podocarpus-Yacuambi (Yawi-sumak) ecological corridor in southern Ecuador, landscape metrics were evaluated and functional connectivity was analyzed for three mammalian species with contrasting ecological requirements: Tapirus pinchaque, Cebus albifrons, and Sturnira erythromos. The corridor is a variegated landscape with an area of 315346 hectares, of which 71 percent is forest. However, the forest is highly fragmented with high patch density (0.25/100 ha), high edge density and edge contrast index and low levels of connectivity. At the landscape level, the contagion index was 74 percent and connectivity with a threshold distance of 40 Km reached 74 percent. The optimal habitat for Tapirus pinchaque spanned the largest proportion (78%) of the corridor compared to Sturnira erythromos (72%) and Cebus albifrons (29%). Habitat patches that can serve as “stepping stones” for the three species are found mainly in the districts of Tutupali, 28 de Mayo and Imbana, so it is necessary to prioritize these areas for sustainable production and conservation projects. The study suggests that although forest cover is high, structural connectivity is low due to fragmentation. Functional connectivity for the tapir and the bat is optimal; however, there are bottlenecks in fragmented areas

An Integrative Model of Graduate Education in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Production in Fragmented Landscapes

To achieve biodiversity conservation and sustainable production in anthropogenically fragmented landscapes, scientists need to be trained in a holistic fashion that emphasizes integration and interdisciplinary collaboration. Traditional graduate programs in natural resources, conservation biology and agricultural sciences usually fall short of this goal as they train scientists with research knowledge and skills in narrowly defined disciplines. Rarely, if ever, is integration across disciplines facilitated, valued, or emphasized in either coursework or research activities

A novel statistical method for classifying habitat generalists and specialists

Abstract. We develop a novel statistical approach for classifying generalists and specialists in two distinct habitats. Using a multinomial model based on estimated species relative abundance in two habitats, our method minimizes bias due to differences in sampling intensities between two habitat types as well as bias due to insufficient sampling within each habitat. The method permits a robust statistical classification of habitat specialists and generalists, without excluding rare species a priori. Based on a user-defined specialization threshold, the model classifies species into one of four groups: (1) generalist; (2) habitat A specialist; (3) habitat B specialist; and (4) too rare to classify with confidence. We illustrate our multinomial classification method using two contrasting data sets: (1) bird abundance in woodland and heath habitats in southeastern Australia and (2) tree abundance in secondgrowth (SG) and old-growth (OG) rain forests in the Caribbean lowlands of northeastern Costa Rica. We evaluate the multinomial model in detail for the tree data set. Our results for birds were highly concordant with a previous nonstatistical classification, but our method classified a higher fraction (57.7%) of bird species with statistical confidence. Based on a conservative specialization threshold and adjustment for multiple comparisons, 64.4% of tree species in the full sample were too rare to classify with confidence. Among the species classified, OG specialists constituted the largest class (40.6%), followed by generalist tree species (36.7%) and SG specialists (22.7%). The multinomial model was more sensitive than indicator value analysis or abundance-based phi coefficient indices in detecting habitat specialists and also detects generalists statistically. Classification of specialists and generalists based on rarefied subsamples was highly consistent with classification based on the full sample, even for sampling percentages as low as 20%. Major advantages of the new method are (1) its ability to distinguish habitat generalists (species with no significant habitat affinity) from species that are simply too rare to classify and (2) applicability to a single representative sample or a single pooled set of representative samples from each of two habitat types. The method as currently developed can be applied to no more than two habitats at a time