Reviewing the use of resilience concepts in forest sciences

Purpose of the review Resilience is a key concept to deal with an uncertain future in forestry. In recent years, it has received increasing attention from both research and practice. However, a common understanding of what resilience means in a forestry context, and how to operationalise it is lacking. Here, we conducted a systematic review of the recent forest science literature on resilience in the forestry context, synthesising how resilience is defined and assessed. Recent findings Based on a detailed review of 255 studies, we analysed how the concepts of engineering resilience, ecological resilience, and social-ecological resilience are used in forest sciences. A clear majority of the studies applied the concept of engineering resilience, quantifying resilience as the recovery time after a disturbance. The two most used indicators for engineering resilience were basal area increment and vegetation cover, whereas ecological resilience studies frequently focus on vegetation cover and tree density. In contrast, important social-ecological resilience indicators used in the literature are socio-economic diversity and stock of natural resources. In the context of global change, we expected an increase in studies adopting the more holistic social-ecological resilience concept, but this was not the observed trend. Summary Our analysis points to the nestedness of these three resilience concepts, suggesting that they are complementary rather than contradictory. It also means that the variety of resilience approaches does not need to be an obstacle for operationalisation of the concept. We provide guidance for choosing the most suitable resilience concept and indicators based on the management, disturbance and application context

In Class Adoption of Multimedia Mobile Phones by Gender - Results from a Field Study

Part 1: Long and Short PapersInternational audienceIn this paper we share our findings from a field study conducted in Panama, focusing on adoption of mobile phones in classroom settings. Our initial findings reveal that during the initial phase of use, boys adopt mobile phone usage faster and explore more functionality; while girls take more time to familiarize themselves with the phones. Girls seem to maintain a better focus on the learning activities using the mobile phones across all tasks. When the task implies an active role then boys also showed high concentration. The videos recorded by the children as part of the learning activities showed a remarkable difference in roles between girls and boys. These findings suggest that it is important to consider the different adoption and exploration strategies of girls and boys with new technologies when designing tools for mobile learning

Current Status of In Vitro Models and Assays for Susceptibility Testing for Wound Biofilm Infections

Biofilm infections have gained recognition as an important therapeutic challenge in the last several decades due to their relationship with the chronicity of infectious diseases. Studies of novel therapeutic treatments targeting infections require the development and use of models to mimic the formation and characteristics of biofilms within host tissues. Due to the diversity of reported in vitro models and lack of consensus, this review aims to provide a summary of in vitro models currently used in research. In particular, we review the various reported in vitro models of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms due to its high clinical impact in chronic wounds and in other chronic infections. We assess advances in in vitro models that incorporate relevant multispecies biofilms found in infected wounds, such as P. aeruginosa with Staphylococcus aureus, and additional elements such as mammalian cells, simulating fluids, and tissue explants in an attempt to better represent the physiological conditions found at an infection site. It is hoped this review will aid researchers in the field to make appropriate choices in their proposed studies with regards to in vitro models and methods

First host plant record for Notofenusa flinti Smith, 1973 (Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Tenthredinidae)

In the Magallanes Region of Chile, Notofenusa flinti Smith, 1973 has for the first time been observed to produce leaf mines on Nothofagus pumilio (Poepp. et Endl.)Krasser. (Nothofagaceae). N. flinti is discussed to be monophagous on N. pumilioSe entrega la primera información biológica, una planta hospedadora, Nothofagus pumilio (Poepp. et Endl.) Krasser. (Nothofagaceae) para Nothofenusa flinti Smith, 1973 y se discute la posible monofagia de N. flinti asociado a Nothofagus pumilio

Forests and adaptation to climate change: challenges and opportunities

An increasing number of global, complex, interacting environmental and socio-economic drivers of change affect forests and society. This new book presents and discusses the challenges and opportunities related to the global drivers of change and the ways to reduce their adverse effects as well as to take advantage of the benefits and opportunities they might bring. The book was launched in August 2010 at the XXIII IUFRO World Congress in Seoul, Korea