A Case Study of the Effects of CO2-Induced Climatic Warming on Forest Growth and the Forest Sector : A. Productivity Reactions of Northern Boreal Forests.

The purpose of this section is to evaluate the effects of changes in climate under the GISS 2 × CO2 scenario (considered in Section 3) on the productivity of boreal forests. Some of the results reported here will be used as inputs to a further set of experiments concerned with the effect of productivity changes on forestry as an economic activity (see Section 6). Together Sections 5 and 6 provide a case study (at a hemispheric scale) of the advantages and limitations of linking biophysical and economic models in attempts to assess the effects of climatic change

Screening potential pests of Nordic coniferous forests associated with trade in ornamental plants

Plant pests moved along with the trade in ornamental plants could pose a threat to forests. In this study plant pests potentially associated with this pathway were screened to identify pests that could pose a high risk to the coniferous forests of Finland, Sweden and Norway. Specifically, the aim was to find pests that potentially could fulfil the criteria to become regulated as quarantine pests. EPPO’s commodity study approach, which includes several screening steps, was used to identify the pests that are most likely to become significant pests of Picea abies or Pinus sylvestris. From an initial list of 1062 pests, 65 pests were identified and ranked using the FinnPRIO model, resulting in a top list of 14 pests, namely Chionaspis pinifoliae, Coleosporium asterum s.l., Cytospora kunzei, Dactylonectria macrodidyma, Gnathotrichus retusus, Heterobasidion irregulare, Lambdina fiscellaria, Orgyia leucostigma, Orthotomicus erosus, Pseudocoremia suavis, Tetropium gracilicorne, Toumeyella parvicornis, Truncatella hartigii and Xylosandrus germanus. The rankings of the pests, together with the collected information, can be used to prioritize pests and pathways for further assessment

Assessing the feasibility of integrating ecosystem-based with engineered water resource governance and management for water security in semi-arid landscapes: A case study in the Banas catchment, Rajasthan, India

Much of the developing world and areas of the developed world suffer water vulnerability. Engineering solutions enable technically efficient extraction and diversion of water towards areas of demand but, without rebalancing resource regeneration, can generate multiple adverse ecological and human consequences. The Banas River, Rajasthan (India), has been extensively developed for water diversion, particularly from the Bisalpur Dam from which water is appropriated by powerful urban constituencies dispossessing local people. Coincidentally, abandonment of traditional management, including groundwater recharge practices, is leading to increasingly receding and contaminated groundwater. This creates linked vulnerabilities for rural communities, irrigation schemes, urban users, dependent ecosystems and the multiple ecosystem services that they provide, compounded by climate change and population growth. This paper addresses vulnerabilities created by fragmented policy measures between rural development, urban and irrigation water supply and downstream consequences for people and wildlife. Perpetuating narrowly technocentric approaches to resource exploitation is likely only to compound emerging problems. Alternatively, restoration or innovation of groundwater recharge practices, particularly in the upper catchment, can represent a proven, ecosystem-based approach to resource regeneration with linked beneficial socio-ecological benefits. Hybridising an ecosystem-based approach with engineered methods can simultaneously increase the security of rural livelihoods, piped urban and irrigation supplies, and the vitality of river ecosystems and their services to beneficiaries. A renewed policy focus on local-scale water recharge practices balancing water extraction technologies is consistent with emerging Rajasthani policies, particularly Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan (‘water self-reliance mission’). Policy reform emphasising recharge can contribute to water security and yield socio-economic outcomes through a systemic understanding of how the water system functions, and by connecting goals and budgets across multiple, currently fragmented policy areas. The underpinning principles of this necessary paradigm shift are proven and have wider geographic relevance, though context-specific research is required to underpin robust policy and practical implementation

Inequitable walking conditions among older people: examining the interrelationship of neighbourhood socio-economic status and urban form using a comparative case study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Supportive neighbourhood walking conditions are particularly important for older people as they age and who, as a group, prefer walking as a form of physical activity. Urban form and socio-economic status (SES) can influence neighbourhood walking behaviour. The objectives of this study were: a) to examine how urban form and neighbourhood SES inter-relate to affect the experiences of older people who walk in their neighbourhoods; b) to examine differences among neighbourhood stakeholder key informant perspectives on socio-political processes that shape the walkability of neighbourhood environments.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An embedded comparative case study examined differences among four Ottawa neighbourhoods that were purposefully selected to provide contrasts on urban form (inner-urban versus suburban) and SES (higher versus lower). Qualitative data collected from 75 older walkers and 19 neighbourhood key informants, as well as quantitative indicators were compared on the two axes of urban form and SES among the four neighbourhoods.</p> <p>Results and discussion</p> <p>Examining the inter-relationship of neighbourhood SES and urban form characteristics on older people's walking experiences indicated that urban form differences were accentuated positively in higher SES neighbourhoods and negatively in lower SES neighbourhoods. Older people in lower SES neighbourhoods were more affected by traffic hazards and more reliant on public transit compared to their higher SES counterparts. In higher SES neighbourhoods the disadvantages of traffic in the inner-urban neighbourhood and lack of commercial destinations in the suburban neighbourhood were partially offset by other factors including neighbourhood aesthetics. Key informant descriptions of the socio-political process highlighted how lower SES neighbourhoods may face greater challenges in creating walkable places. These differences pertained to the size of neighbourhood associations, relationships with political representatives, accessing information and salient neighbourhood association issues. Findings provide evidence of inequitable walking environments.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Future research on walking must consider urban form-SES inter-relationships and further examine the equitable distribution of walking conditions as well as the socio-political processes driving these conditions. There is a need for municipal governments to monitor differences in walking conditions among higher and lower SES neighbourhoods, to be receptive to the needs of lower SES neighbourhood and to ensure that policy decisions are taken to address inequitable walking conditions.</p

School Effects on the Wellbeing of Children and Adolescents

Well-being is a multidimensional construct, with psychological, physical and social components. As theoretical basis to help understand this concept and how it relates to school, we propose the Self-Determination Theory, which contends that self-determined motivation and personality integration, growth and well-being are dependent on a healthy balance of three innate psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness and competence. Thus, current indicators involve school effects on children’s well-being, in many diverse modalities which have been explored. Some are described in this chapter, mainly: the importance of peer relationships; the benefits of friendship; the effects of schools in conjunction with some forms of family influence; the school climate in terms of safety and physical ecology; the relevance of the teacher input; the school goal structure and the implementation of cooperative learning. All these parameters have an influence in promoting optimal functioning among children and increasing their well-being by meeting the above mentioned needs. The empirical support for the importance of schools indicates significant small effects, which often translate into important real-life effects as it is admitted at present. The conclusion is that schools do make a difference in children’s peer relationships and well-being

Black Warrior River Basin Cooperative Study, Alabama

Excerpts from the report: The Black Warrior River is a principal tributary of the Tombigbee River, a branch of the Mobile River System. The basin is located primarily in Northwest Alabama and is bounded on the east by the Cahaba and Coosa River Basins, on the north by the Tennessee River Basin, and on the west by the Tombigbee River Basin. The basin is roughly triangular and covers about 4,007,000 acres. It includes parts of 17 counties and has a maximum width of 60 miles and length of 150 miles. The Black Warrior River is formed by the juncture of the Locust and Mulberry Forks 20 miles west of Birmingham. The State of Alabama requested the United States Department of Agriculture to participate in a cooperative study of the Black Warrior River Basin so that various programs of the United States Department of Agriculture can be effectively coordinated with programs of state, local, and other federal agencies. The overall objective of the study was to inventory natural resources, analyze economic development and potential, and provide basic data for orderly development of the water and related land resources of the area giving full consideration to the environmental, economic, and other related values involved