Past and future impacts of land-use changes on ecosystem services in Austria

Environmental and socio-economic developments induce land-use changes with potentially negative impacts on human well-being. To counteract undesired developments, a profound understanding of the complex relationships between drivers, land use, and ecosystem services is needed. Yet, national studies examining extended time periods are still rare. Based on the Special Report on land use, land management and climate change by the Austrian Panel on Climate Change (APCC), we use the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework to (1) identify the main drivers of land-use change, (2) describe past and future land-use changes in Austria between 1950 and 2100, (3) report related impacts on ecosystem services, and (4) discuss management responses. Our findings indicate that socio-economic drivers (e.g., economic growth, political systems, and technological developments) have influenced past land-use changes the most. The intensification of agricultural land use and urban sprawl have primarily led to declining ecosystem services in the lowlands. In mountain regions, the abandonment of mountain grassland has prompted a shift from provisioning to regulating services. However, simulations indicate that accelerating climate change will surpass socio-economic drivers in significance towards the end of this century, particularly in intensively used agricultural areas. Although climate change-induced impacts on ecosystem services remain uncertain, it can be expected that the range of land-use management options will be restricted in the future. Consequently, policymaking should prioritize the development of integrated land-use planning to safeguard ecosystem services, accounting for future environmental and socio-economic uncertainties

Internet threats to hindu authority: Puja-ordering websites and the kalighat temple

10.1163/156853110X517818Asian Journal of Social Science384636-656AJSS

Predictors of life satisfaction in a large representative sample from Italy

Life Satisfaction is a key indicator of subjective well-being and represents its cognitive component, measuring individuals’ judgment of their own lives. The aim of this study is to analyze the predictors of Life Satisfaction in a large Italian representative sample. To this end, we consider sociodemographic characteristics and other variables identified in the literature as central to Life Satisfaction. These variables are satisfaction with standards of living, household income satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, and social support. Cross-sectional. The data were extracted from the Gallup World Poll which has collected nationally representative samples from Italy since 2005. The total number of participants was 14,039 individuals aged 15 and above (58.3% females, Mage = 48.74, SDage = 16.43). The results show that women score significantly lower than men on Life Satisfaction and that Life Satisfaction declines with age. Furthermore, satisfaction with standards of living is the strongest predictor of Life Satisfaction. Household income satisfaction, positive affect, social support, and negative affect, respectively, follow. Present findings demonstrate that researchers and policy-makers need to pay attention to a wide range of economic and psycho-social factors in order to understand and improve Life Satisfaction in Italy