Heavy Metal and Contaminant Loading in the Oder River Floodplains and Consequences for Livestock Management

The predominately pristine lower Oder floodplains have experienced sedimentation and enrichment of heavy metals and contaminants since the start of industrialization in the region. With the creation of the German-Polish National Park, which included the flooded grassland area, intensive milk production has been prohibited. The objective of this research was to estimate the impact of the floodplain heavy metal and contaminant levels on the lower Oder region. Soil and plant content were analyzed for three transects according to accepted DIN methods. High content in soil did not consistently result in high plant contents; however, higher content levels were often observed in hollows. A particular vegetation characteristic of heavy metal soil content was not observed. Exceeded levels in terms of the German fodder ordinance were most frequently detected for Cadmium and Manganese. Extensive pasturing of suckler cows and young or beef cattle is possible with the exception of problem areas

Long Term Results for the Naturalisation of River Valley Grassland in the Lower Floodplains of the River Oder

The flooded grassland area in the lower reaches of the River Oder covers about 10,000 ha, of which 4,000 ha are situated on the German side and the remainder in Poland. In spite of extreme flooding conditions (annual winter flooding from 15 Dec. to 15 April and occasional summer flooding) the area was used very intensively in GDR times. After the political change in 1989, the management of the cross-border GermanPolish National Park, which was situated in this area, was changed abruptly to extensive grassland utilisation. This paper reports on changes in the composition and productivity of the grassland

Product Service System Innovation in the Smart City

Product service systems (PSS) may usefully form part of the mix of innovations necessary to move society toward more sustainable futures. However, despite such potential, PSS implementation is highly uneven and limited. Drawing on an alternate socio-technical perspective of innovation, this paper provides fresh insights, on among other things the role of context in PSS innovation, to address this issue. Case study research is presented focusing on a use orientated PSS in an urban environment: the Copenhagen city bike scheme. The paper shows that PSS innovation is a situated complex process, shaped by actors and knowledge from other locales. It argues that further research is needed to investigate how actors interests shape PSS innovation. It recommends that institutional spaces should be provided in governance landscapes associated with urban environments to enable legitimate PSS concepts to co-evolve in light of locally articulated sustainability principles and priorities

Компьютерное моделирование напряженно-деформированного состояния сварных конструкций

В данной работе показано, что при оценке и обеспечении живучести сварныхметаллоконструкций важную роль играют технологические факторы. Учет их влияния реализуется на основе применения метода конечных элементов. Описана численная методика расчета остаточных сварочных напряжений и деформаций в элементах сварных металлоконструкций.Численнообосновантехнологическийметодповышенияживучестиуказанногоклассаметаллоконструкций

Modelling the Long-Term Impact on Herder Incomes and Environmental Services in an Uncertain World

Environmental, market and political influences affect herders’ livelihoods with the expectation that they maintain biologically and economically resilient systems. To balance these external influences and the trade-offs within a grassland system it involves the consideration of interactions between grassland ecology, technology use, environmental externalities, utilisation by grazing animals for food and fibre production, and the long-term profitability of the farming system. Many of these variables are slow-moving and are trade-offs are most efficiently studied with models. The StageTHREE Sustainable Grasslands Model, which utilizes the core functions and dynamics of more mechanistic tools, has been designed to minimize the skill and data required for parameterisation. It allows the key dynamics of the grassland systems to be incorporated along with the stochasticity of the system, in terms of both the uncertainty of the production and market environment. This enables an investigation into the sustainability and environmental impacts of alternative livestock management practices, so that these can be evaluated in relation to policy options. This paper presents an insight into the integration of herder level bioeconomic modelling for the analysis of grassland policy impacts in Mongolia and China. The research highlights that policy settings that reduce stocking rates can improve the environmental services from grasslands, and in most cases, also improve herder livelihoods and resilience

“We’re Not Being Treated Like Mothers”: Listening to the Stories of First Nations Mothers in Prison

This article is based on research with over 160 First Nations women in prisons in New South Wales, Australia. The research identified the lived experience of prison sentences for First Nations women in prison. Our research methodology was guided by an Aboriginal women’s advisory body called sista2sista. It was based on the principles of Dadirri in which we listened to the stories of First Nations women in prison on their terms. Consequently, many stories we heard were not about the criminal sentencing process itself, but about the impacts of imprisonment on their capacity to be caregivers in the community, including as mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, teachers and role models. The findings from this research are dual. First, the importance of listening to and empowering First Nations women in prison in policy making that concerns First Nations women. Second, the need to decarcerate First Nations mothers and listen and respond to their needs, expectations, priorities and aspirations, to ensure they are supported in fulfilling their role and responsibility to care, nurture, strengthen and lead their families and communities.</jats:p