Arvonalentuminen IFRS ja US GAAP -standardien mukaan : Vertaileva tutkimus sisällöistä ja vaikutuksista

Siirretty Doriast

Counteracting wetland overgrowth increases breeding and staging bird abundances

Human actions have led to loss and degradation of wetlands, impairing their suitability as habitat especially for waterbirds. Such negative effects may be mitigated through habitat management. To date scientific evidence regarding the impacts of these actions remains scarce. We studied guild specific abundances of breeding and staging birds in response to habitat management on 15 Finnish wetlands. In this study management actions comprised several means of vegetation removal to thwart overgrowth. Management cost efficiency was assessed by examining the association between site-specific costs and bird abundances. Several bird guilds exhibited positive connections with both habitat management as well as with invested funds. Most importantly, however, red-listed species and species with special conservation concern as outlined by the EU showed positive correlations with management actions, underlining the conservation value of wetland management. The results suggest that grazing was especially efficient in restoring overgrown wetlands. As a whole this study makes it clear that wetland habitat management constitutes a feasible conservation tool. The marked association between invested funds and bird abundance may prove to be a valuable tool for decision makers when balancing costs and impact of conservation measures against one another.Peer reviewe

Building individual futures capacity through transformative futures learning

AbstractThis article focuses on examining the parallels between the recent discussion on futures literacy as human capability and the longer tradition of futures education as a means to enhance the individual’s capacity to use the future. Merging these two lines of discussion with transformative educational theory, we proceed to propose a conceptual model for transformative futures learning and a new 21st century futures paradigm for educational institutions. Transformative futures learning, as we define it, is aimed at changing the frames of reference that define how people engage with the future. The model we propose takes a holistic approach to human learning, in which the aim is to develop the individual’s cognitive, motivational and action-oriented faculties of engaging with the future. The article is based on a review and analysis of futures education, transformative learning and futures literacy theories.</p