The implications of stakeholders' perceptions of land for sustainable land use management in NE Ghana

There are negative implications of changes in stakeholders traditional land perceptions for sustainable land use and management in north-east Ghana. In African tenurial systems, land use was based on a local mystical view of the environment and stakeholders broad-based knowledge of the local environments. These led to sustainable resource use and management. However, in the context of current political ecology of north-east Ghana as induced by increased population growth, urbanisation, the market economy, changes in religious beliefs, and government land policies, stakeholders understandings of land have acquired even greater importance in issues of sustainable land resource use and management. A mixed methodological approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative data gathering techniques for information on stakeholders land perceptions, was used to analyse their implications for sustainable land use and management. Changes in the dynamics of stakeholders perceptions of land are partly responsible for the current state of land and environmental degradation in north-east Ghana. Policies aimed at ensuring sustainable land use and environmental management must focus on those traditional land perceptions, which encourage environmental sustainabilit

Environmental capacity in the East Midlands: an evidence base fit for purpose

This report relates to the initial study into the measurement of Environmental Capacity within the East Midlands Region considering what indicators/measures of Environmental Capacity can be put into place in the near future within the region and what are the aspirations regarding longer term indicators / measures of Environmental Capacity in the region. The study involved in depth interviews with relevant employees from local authorities and other key agencies within the region covering the current data collected/used in monitoring and the possible link to the monitoring of Environmental Capacity as well as the interviewees' awareness of and attitudes towards Environmental Capacity as a monitoring tool

A survey of the coverage, use and application of ancient woodland indicator lists in the UK

This report presents the results of a survey into the current use of ancient woodland indicator species lists in the UK. The idea of using species particularly vascular plants as indicators of ancient woodlands can be dated back to the 1970s and the work of Peterken. Since then a wide number of lists of Ancient Woodland Indicators (AWIs)have been produced, some based on expert opinions, some utilising field surveys, others adapted from existing lists. Recently developed lists, e.g. the lists for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been based on either robust reviews of existing lists, and/or expert opinion and/or field surveys and statistical analysis. Concerns however have been expressed regarding the use of lists and these concerns appear to be supported by the uncritical use of indicator species in recent planning inquiries, e.g. not recognising that indicators are indicators and considering them to be the key value of a woodland. A survey was undertaken of relevant individuals working in biological record centres, local authorities and key agencies across the UK. The survey sought to identify what lists of Ancient Woodland Indicators are currently in use, where possible to determine the methods used in developing these lists. The survey also sought to assess the awareness of ancient woodland indicator lists and review the ways in which these were used. A total of 419 questionnaires were sent out; a response rate of 11% was obtained. Follow up phone conversations were held with key individuals involved in developing ancient woodland indicator lists. Responses were received from all counties excluding: Buckinghamshire, Cheshire, Essex, Huntingdonshire, Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Staffordshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire. In addition, the Lancashire respondent stated there was no AWI list for Lancashire. The key findings of the survey were: • There is a wide variety of lists of Ancient Woodland Indicators lists available covering most of the UK. • Most individuals using indicator lists are unaware of the methods used to produce the lists and therefore of their robustness. Some key stakeholders are unaware of the existence of indicator lists in their area. • Attitudes to ancient woodland indicator lists are variable, as is their use. • Few lists use species thresholds or weightings in determining whether a site is ancient, several lists are currently under review. • There are over 200 species listed on the various Ancient Woodland Indicators lists, few species are common to more than a quarter of the lists

Field surveys for ancient woodlands: Issues and Approaches

Field surveys of ancient woodlands and potential ancient woodlands can be undertaken for a variety of purposes, including: to help identify an Ancient Woodland, investigation into existing designated ancient woodlands, gathering information for site management and conservation decision making, assessing potential impacts of development, and making decisions on restoration etc. There is a variety of features in a woodland which can indicate whether it is an ancient woodland and can inform on the history and current ecological/historical value of the site. Many surveys of potential ancient woodlands have tended to focus on ancient woodland indicator species (AWIs), particularly Ancient Woodland Vascular Plants (AWVPs). Surveys which just focus on such indicators miss a lot of historical, archaeological and species information which can help confirm woodland continuity (i.e. that it is an ancient woodland) and/or identify features of historical and conservation value. There is a wide range of field survey techniques which can be used in ancient woodlands and a need to bring together the archaeological and ecological surveys in a single guide, hence this document. There are three broad types of feature to look for in an ancient woodland: • Ancient woodland vascular plant indicators; • Tree shape and form; and • Surface and buried archaeology. This report sets out survey methods for these features and advises on what to look for. Many important ecological and archaeological features can only be easily found at specific times of the year and surveying these features requires specific technical expertise and experience. Where surveys are undertaken outside the optimal period of time and/or are undertaken by individuals without the appropriate training and surveying expertise, the results should be treated with caution. Ideally several types of surveys of a woodland should be undertaken at different times of year to maximise the evidence collected and the robustness of this evidence. Where this is not possible, limitations in the surveys need to be stated and recognised in any analysis. In most cases field surveys should be combined with archive surveys (of site history, previous surveys etc.); this is particularly important when identifying ancient woodlands

The identification of ancient woodland: demonstrating antiquity and continuity - issues and approaches

This report presents an overview of the various types of evidence which can be used to determine whether a woodland site is likely to be designated as ‘ancient’ and discusses how these can be used as part of the decision making process. It has been commissioned by the Woodland Trust as part of their work promoting the value of ancient woodlands and getting the importance of such sites recognised through the planning process. An ancient woodland is defined as a woodland which has been continuously wooded from before 1600 AD. The evidence used to determine whether a site is ancient woodland is therefore: • evidence which indicates the continuity of woodland cover at a site from before 1600. • evidence which indicates that woodland was established post-1600 on a site. • evidence of a gap in woodland cover and the presence of other land uses, e.g. farmland, at that site since 1600. The robustness of the evidence sources varies, modern sources are often more robust and easier to verify but only demonstrate woodland cover in recent times. Care needs to be taken with all sources in their interpretation and use. Guidance has been provided regarding some of the potential limitations of the various types of evidence and recommendations have been made. General recommendations when seeking to identify/confirm an ancient woodland: • Ideally multiple sources of evidence should be obtained. • The reliability of the evidence used should be considered in the analysis. • A wide range of evidence sources should be consulted. • It needs to be recognised that absence of reference to a woodland on a map or in a document is not necessarily evidence of the absence of a woodland at that site. • In looking for evidence to determine whether a site is an ancient woodland it is as important to look for evidence that there was another land use at this site (i.e. evidence of a gap in woodland cover as shown by farmland on a map) as it is to look for evidence that there has been a continuity of woodland cover. • Field based evidence should normally be used to support map and archive evidence. However, ancient woodland plants can aid in ascribing antiquity where archive evidence alone is insufficient. • The evidence used to support the designation of a woodland as ancient or not needs to be clearly stated. As indicated previously, evaluation of the historical and other evidence for a site being an ancient woodland or not is a matter of judgement. Much of the evidence used is historic and not scientific, yet a rigorous scientific approach needs to be taken in determining the status of a possible ancient woodland site. It is recommended that in the near future further investigations into developing a more rigorous method for identifying and verifying the status of a site as an ancient woodland should be investigated. It is also recommended that the statutory agencies consider the development of detailed advice to consultants, planners and other workers involved in decisions relation to identify or potential ancient woodlands. It is hoped that this document may aid in this development

Arrest patterns of circulating lymphosarcoma cells in tumour-bearing mice as modified by previously injected cell suspensions.

The effects were determined of an initial i.v. injection of 0.2 ml suspensions of 125IUdR-labelled lymphosarcoma cells on the early arrest patterns of a second injection of cancer cells into tumour-bearing mice. The results indicate that interactions between the first injection and the host markedly affected the arrest pattern of the second dose in the lungs, but not the livers, of tumour-bearing animals. These observations are explained on the basis of the injected fluid volumes, which are considerable in mice, in relation to their total blood volumes of approximately 2 ml

Wetland management and recreation: practical experiences and recommendations for future management

The value of the British wetlands has been well recognised and a great deal of time and effort has been put into positive wetland management and restoration; yet as noted by Sutherland (2004) such conservation management is often based on anecdote and myth. In-depth interviews and site visits were undertaken with 18 wetland managers, the interviews covered four broad themes, the type of restoration and management, the reasons for management, the main risks and problems faced and practical advice to future practitioners. The keys to successful wetland managment appear to be availability of site data, awareness of socioeconomic and political dimensions (not just ecological issues), involvement of key stakeholders, building on existing good practice, and adoption of an adaptive management approach

Beyond data in the smart city:learning from a case study of re-purposing existing campus IoT

In this article we present a case study of our experiences of using existing IoT infrastructure to create a campus scale “living laboratory” for promoting energy savings and environmental sustainability. As a series of lessons for others creating IoT systems from existing city infrastructures we offer the challenges we have experienced through our attempt to join up and re-purpose existing energy monitoring and building management systems as an IoT infrastructure for a “smart campus”. We highlight the limitations of particular views of a campus from a purely data-driven perspective, advocating data- aware over data-driven approaches that engage with a wide variety of stakeholders. Finally, we reflect on the inclusion of people’s practices in understanding and designing smart cities, repurposing existing IoT, more careful consideration of ethics and domestication when co-creating smart campuses and the importance of challenging the existing rhetoric around energy waste in Smart Cities and Smart buildings research

Gender diversity in autistic clients: an ethical perspective

Autonomy and dignity are key ethical principles in psychiatric and psychological codes of ethics. Yet, when working with autistic individuals who are transgender/gender non-conforming (TGNC), non-autistic and cisgender clinicians can unintentionally take away client dignity and autonomy by disbelieving or stigmatizing clients’ gender identities. Lack of awareness or discomfort around autism and gender dysphoria can lead clinicians to assumptions and interventions that damage both client rapport and client mental health; discouraging clients from being honest with clinicians about their mental health, and potentially leading to harm. Clinicians must take an intersectional view of their autistic clients’ gender identities to reduce stigma and recognize the needs of the whole person. Facilitating access to gender-affirming care is an important part of caring for TGNC clients, including those who are autistic. The authors will discuss the ethical imperative to help autistic clients access gender-affirming care, while discussing common concerns clinicians have when helping autistic clients access this care, as well as the need to believe and support autistic clients when they share their gender identities with clinicians