Planetary well-being

Tensions between the well-being of present humans, future humans, and nonhuman nature manifest in social protests and political and academic debates over the future of Earth. The increasing consumption of natural resources no longer increases, let alone equalises, human well-being, but has led to the current ecological crisis and harms both human and nonhuman well-being. While the crisis has been acknowledged, the existing conceptual frameworks are in some respects ill-equipped to address the crisis in a way that would link the resolving of the crisis with the pivotal aim of promoting equal well-being. The shortcomings of the existing concepts in this respect relate to anthropocentric normative orientation, methodological individualism that disregards process dynamics and precludes integrating the considerations of human and nonhuman well-being, and the lack of multiscalar considerations of well-being. This work derives and proposes the concept of planetary well-being to address the aforementioned conceptual issues, to recognise the moral considerability of both human and nonhuman well-being, and to promote transdisciplinary, cross-cultural discourse for addressing the crisis and for promoting societal and cultural transformation. Conceptually, planetary well-being shifts focus on well-being from individuals to processes, Earth system and ecosystem processes, that underlie all well-being. Planetary well-being is a state where the integrity of Earth system and ecosystem processes remains unimpaired to a degree that species and populations can persist to the future and organisms have the opportunity to achieve well-being. After grounding and introducing planetary well-being, this work shortly discusses how the concept can be operationalised and reflects upon its potential as a bridging concept between different worldviews.</p

Springtails (Collembola) in meadows, pastures and road verges in Central Finland

Understanding of species distribution, abundance and habitat affinities is crucial for red-list assessment, conservation and habitat management. In Central Finland, we studied Collembola in three habitat types, namely non-grazed meadows, pastures and road verges using pitfall traps. Altogether, 9,630 Collembola individuals were recorded. These belonged to 12 families, 34 genera and 60 species. The number of specimens was clearly higher in meadows than in pastures or road verges. The number of species, however, was higher in meadows and road verges (40 and 39 species, respectively) than in pastures (33 species). The overall species number is comparable to other large-scale sampling schemes in similar habitats. We recorded a few abundant species (Spatulosminthurus flaviceps, Sminthurus viridis and Sminthurus nigromaculatus) that have been previously recorded from very different biotopes. In conclusion, biodiversity inventories of soil fauna, as well as other biota, should also include marginal habitats, which often host peculiar communities.peerReviewe

Soil processes are constituents of planetary well-being

Soils play multiple roles in vital ecosystem processes, even though they form only a thin layer between Earth’s atmosphere and lithosphere. Soils are reservoirs of carbon, most nutrients and fresh water while acting as a substrate for plants, a site for decomposition processes, and a sink for harmful substances. The decomposition of dead organic matter and the associated recycling of nutrients are a prerequisite for photosynthesis by green plants and, therefore, for all life forms on Earth. Without healthy soils, the integrity of the Earth system cannot be maintained in the future. Soils are highly diverse habitats, inhabited by both structurally and functionally diversified organisms. However, human activity is currently threatening both soil health and biodiversity. Intensive farming, mining, deforestation, pollution, and urbanization are significantly reducing the area of undisturbed land and simplifying the soil structure. This also represents a threat to nature’s contributions to people. On the road to planetary well-being, humanity should therefore pay particular attention to soils. This chapter discusses how soil processes contribute to the well-being of our planet and how the impacts of human activities on soil affect planetary well-being.peerReviewe

Planetary well-being as a strategic goal : The University of Jyväskylä pursues Green Campus polices

nonPeerReviewe

Kantojen korjuun vaikutukset maaperän hiili- ja typpidynamiikkaan

TutkimusselosteSeloste artikkelista: Kataja-aho, S., Smolander, A., Fritze, H., Norrgård, S. & Haimi, J. 2012. Responses of soil carbon and nitrogen transformations to stump removal. Silva Fennica 46(2): 169–179

Voimakkaan maanmuokkauksen pidempiaikaisista vaikutuksista maaperän hajottajaeliöstöön

201

The arthropod community of boreal Norway spruce forests responds variably to stump harvesting

Forest fuel harvesting increases the need to collect not just logging residues but also tree stumps from harvested stands. This biomass removal has raised concern over forest biodiversity. Here, the effects of stump harvesting on spiders, ants, harvestmen, ground beetles and epiedaphic springtails occupying boreal Norway spruce (Picea abies) forest floor were studied two and five years after harvesting by comparing pitfall trap samples from clear-cut sites with and without subsequent stump harvesting and from unharvested mature forests in central Finland. At harvested sites, traps were placed both on intact and exposed mineral soil surface. Open-habitat and generalist ground beetles benefitted from the stump harvesting, but generally the numbers of arthropods between stump harvesting treatments and different aged clear-cuts were rather similar. The intact forest floor hosted more ants, springtails and harvestmen than did the exposed mineral soil. Moreover, the community structure of spiders, ground beetles and springtails was affected by stump harvesting, forest-floor quality (intact or exposed), and time elapsed since harvesting. Based on these results we recommend minimizing the exposure of mineral soil during management practices. However, more long-term studies are required to document the development of fauna in the harvested areas and the ecosystem-level impacts of utilization of forest biomass for energy.peerReviewe

Planetary well-being

Tensions between the well-being of present humans, future humans, and nonhuman nature manifest in social protests and political and academic debates over the future of Earth. The increasing consumption of natural resources no longer increases, let alone equalises, human well-being, but has led to the current ecological crisis and harms both human and nonhuman well-being. While the crisis has been acknowledged, the existing conceptual frameworks are in some respects ill-equipped to address the crisis in a way that would link the resolving of the crisis with the pivotal aim of promoting equal well-being. The shortcomings of the existing concepts in this respect relate to anthropocentric normative orientation, methodological individualism that disregards process dynamics and precludes integrating the considerations of human and nonhuman well-being, and the lack of multiscalar considerations of well-being. This work derives and proposes the concept of planetary well-being to address the aforementioned conceptual issues, to recognise the moral considerability of both human and nonhuman well-being, and to promote transdisciplinary, cross-cultural discourse for addressing the crisis and for promoting societal and cultural transformation. Conceptually, planetary well-being shifts focus on well-being from individuals to processes, Earth system and ecosystem processes, that underlie all well-being. Planetary well-being is a state where the integrity of Earth system and ecosystem processes remains unimpaired to a degree that species and populations can persist to the future and organisms have the opportunity to achieve well-being. After grounding and introducing planetary well-being, this work shortly discusses how the concept can be operationalised and reflects upon its potential as a bridging concept between different worldviews.peerReviewe

Planetary well-being

Tensions between the well-being of present humans, future humans, and nonhuman nature manifest in social protests and political and academic debates over the future of Earth. The increasing consumption of natural resources no longer increases, let alone equalizes, human well-being, but has led to the current ecological crisis and harms both human and nonhuman well-being. While the crisis has been acknowledged, the existing conceptual frameworks are in some respects ill-equipped to address the crisis in a way that would link the resolving of the crisis with the pivotal aim of promoting equal well-being. The shortcomings of the existing concepts in this respect relate to anthropocentric normative orientation, methodological individualism that disregards process dynamics and precludes integrating the considerations of human and nonhuman well-being, and the lack of multiscalar considerations of well-being. This work derives and proposes the concept of planetary well-being to address the aforementioned conceptual issues, to recognize the moral considerability of both human and nonhuman well-being, and to promote transdisciplinary, cross-cultural discourse for addressing the crisis and for promoting societal and cultural transformation. Conceptually, planetary well-being shifts focus on well-being from individuals to processes, Earth system and ecosystem processes, that underlie all well-being. Planetary well-being is a state where the integrity of Earth system and ecosystem processes remains unimpaired to a degree that species and populations can persist to the future and organisms have the opportunity to achieve well-being. After grounding and introducing planetary well-being, this work shortly discusses how the concept can be operationalized and reflects upon its potential as a bridging concept between different worldviews.peerReviewe