Riparian vegetation restoration: Does social perception reflect ecological value?

Special Issue PaperSocial‐ecological contexts are key to the success of ecological restoration projects. The ecological quality of restoration efforts, however, may not be fully evident to stakeholders, particularly if the desired aesthetic experience is not delivered. Aesthetically pleasing landscapes are more highly appreciated and tend to be better protected than less appealing landscapes, regardless of their ecological value. Positive public perception of restoration actions may therefore facilitate stakeholder involvement and catalyse recognition of ecological improvement. Here we aim to contrast aesthetical perception and ecological condition in headwater river reaches restored through passive ecological restoration in study areas in Portugal (Alentejo) and France (Normandy). We recorded structural and functional indicators of riparian vegetation to monitor the ecological condition of study sites along a passive restoration trajectory. Aesthetical perception indicators were assessed through stakeholder inquiries developed under a semantic differential approach. We analysed perception responses to changes in the riparian ecosystems resulting from passive ecological restoration across different geographical contexts and social groups. The analysed social groups comprised stakeholders (environmental managers and landowners) and university students (landscape architecture and geography students). Results indicate that (a) visual preferences often do not reflect changes in ecological condition, (b) perception of the restoration process is strongly context dependent, and (c) experience and cultural background affect perception of ecological condition across the different social groups analysed. Clear identification of relevant stakeholder groups (those interested in or directly affected by restoration), effective communication, and stakeholder engagement are therefore essential for assuring the success of river restoration projectsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Experience of localized flooding predicts urban flood risk perception and perceived safety of nature-based solutions

Understanding community members' flood risk perceptions is critical for developing new approaches to managing flood risks for climate resilience. “Risk as feelings” has informed research on how people perceive flood risks based on intuition and personal experiences, complementing experts' technical assessment. However, attention has been primarily on riverine and coastal flooding. We expand the “risk as feelings” concept to investigate community members' risk perceptions of urban pluvial flooding as well as perceived safety of novel vs. familiar nature-based solutions (NBS). For the novel practice, we focus on floodable sites that temporarily inundate urban open spaces under storm conditions. For the familiar practice, we focus on retention ponds that store excessive runoff under storm conditions. Data were collected through visualization-assisted surveys of residents from high and low flood hazard areas in three US cities (N = 884). We found that over half of respondents indicated some degree of worry about stormwater-related damage, and overall, respondents perceived floodable as less safe than retention ponds under storm conditions. Further, respondents who had more frequently experienced localized flooding near their homes were more worried about potential property damage caused by flooding. They also perceived floodable sites as less safe under storm conditions. However, more frequent experience of localized flooding was not associated with perceived safety of retention ponds under storm conditions. Some other contextual and socio-demographic factors (e.g., prior stormwater-related property damage, knowledge of and involvement in stormwater management issues, gender, age, race, and having children) also had notable effects on flood risk perception and perceived safety of NBS. We discuss the implications of these findings for urban flood risk management and NBS development

Exurban Residential Subdivision Development: Effects on Water Quality and Public Perception

We investigated how future alternative designs for exurban residential subdivision development in agricultural landscapes might affect aquatic ecosystems and public perceptions, and we asked whether better aquatic ecological quality would correspond with public perceptions of greater landscape attractiveness. The alternative exurban features we compared were: ecologically beneficial subdivisions, conventional subdivisions, and conventional agriculture. To judge their aquatic ecology effects we measured the chemistry and biota of six first-order streams within our study area, the Huron and Raisin River watersheds in the Detroit CMSA. We chose two stream catchments that exibited land cover to represent the same proportions as each of three types of alternative exurban features. Streams in catchments representing ecologically beneficial subdivision designs had the most total macroinvertebrate taxa, the most sensitive macroinvertebrate taxa, lowest nitrates, lowest total phosphorus, and lowest total suspended materials. Nutrient concentrations were highest in agricultural catchments, and suspended sediments were highest in conventional subdivision catchments. To compare public perceptions of the alternative futures, we surveyed 336 suburban and exurban adult residents of the upper Midwest. All respondents viewed digital imaging simulations of each of the futures and rated their attractiveness as if they were seen from the window of a home in the area. Ecologically beneficial futures were perceived as most attractive. Comparing the alternative futures, rankings of aquatic ecological quality were consistent with public perceptions of attractiveness.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/49341/1/UrbEco04.pd

Разработка отклонителя для управления направлением скважин при ударно-вращательном бурении

Die Kombination einer Membran mit einer katalytischen Reaktion in einem Membranreaktor ist eines der Konzepte multifunktionaler Reaktoren zur Prozessintensivierung. Eine industriell besonders interessante Anwendung ist dabei die Darstellung von Synthesegas durch partielle Oxidation von Methan zu Kohlenmonoxid und Wasserstoff, wobei der Sauerstoff durch eine gemischtleitende Perowskit-Membran aus Luft zudosiert wird. Es ist gelungen, entsprechende Perowskit-Membranen als Hohlfasern mit einer volumenbezogenen Membranfläche von bis zu 500 m²/m³ durch einen ökonomischen Spinnprozess zu entwickeln. Unter Laborbedingungen konnten langzeitstabil Synthesegas (CO, H₂) mit einer CO-Selektivität von 95 % bei 95 % CH₄-Umsatz erzeugt und die Ergebnisse durch eine detaillierte mathematische Modellierung beschrieben werden. Copyright © 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim [accessed February 8th 2013

What determines how we see nature? Perceptions of naturalness in designed urban green spaces

1. The multiple benefits of ‘nature’ for human health and well-being have been documented at an increasing rate over the past 30 years. A growing body of research also demonstrates the positive well-being benefits of nature-connectedness. There is, however, a lack of evidence about how people's subjective nature experience relates to deliberately designed and managed urban green infrastructure (GI) with definable ‘objective’ characteristics such as vegetation type, structure and density. Our study addresses this gap.2. Site users (n = 1411) were invited to walk through woodland, shrub and herbaceous planting at three distinctive levels of planting structure at 31 sites throughout England, whilst participating in a self-guided questionnaire survey assessing reactions to aesthetics, perceived plant and invertebrate biodiversity, restorative effect, nature-connectedness and socio-demographic characteristics.3. There was a significant positive relationship between perceived naturalness and planting structure. Perceived naturalness was also positively related to the perceived plant and invertebrate biodiversity value, participants’ aesthetic appreciation and the self-reported restorative effect of the planting. A negative relationship was recorded between perceived naturalness and perceived tidiness and care. Our findings showed that participants perceived ‘naturalness’ as biodiverse, attractive and restorative, but not necessarily tidy. Perceived naturalness was also related to participants’ educational qualifications, gender and nature-connectedness, with women and more nature-connected participants perceiving significantly greater levels of naturalness in the planting.4. These findings are highly significant for policymakers and built environment professionals throughout the world aiming to design, manage and fund urban GI to achieve positive human health and biodiversity outcomes. This applies particularly under austerity approaches to managing urban green spaces where local authorities have experienced cuts in funding and must prioritise and justify GI maintenance practices and regimes

Habitat structure: a fundamental concept and framework for urban soil ecology

Habitat structure is defined as the composition and arrangement of physical matter at a location. Although habitat structure is the physical template underlying ecological patterns and processes, the concept is relatively unappreciated and underdeveloped in ecology. However, it provides a fundamental concept for urban ecology because human activities in urban ecosystems are often targeted toward management of habitat structure. In addition, the concept emphasizes the fine-scale, on-the-ground perspective needed in the study of urban soil ecology. To illustrate this, urban soil ecology research is summarized from the perspective of habitat structure effects. Among the key conclusions emerging from the literature review are: (1) habitat structure provides a unifying theme for multivariate research about urban soil ecology; (2) heterogeneous urban habitat structures influence soil ecological variables in different ways; (3) more research is needed to understand relationships among sociological variables, habitat structure patterns and urban soil ecology. To stimulate urban soil ecology research, a conceptual framework is presented to show the direct and indirect relationships among habitat structure and ecological variables. Because habitat structure serves as a physical link between sociocultural and ecological systems, it can be used as a focus for interdisciplinary and applied research (e.g., pest management) about the multiple, interactive effects of urbanization on the ecology of soils

Methodological developments in violence research

Über Jahrzehnte wurde Gewalt durch Interviews mit Betroffenen oder Tätern, durch teilnehmende Beobachtung oder Gewaltstatistiken untersucht, meist unter Verwendung entweder qualitativer oder quantitativer Analysemethoden. Seit der Jahrhundertwende stehen Forschenden eine Reihe neuer Ansätze zur Verfügung: Es gibt immer mehr Videoaufnahmen von gewaltsamen Ereignissen, Mixed Methods-Ansätze werden stetig weiterentwickelt und durch Computational Social Sciences finden Big Data-Ansätze Einzug in immer mehr Forschungsfelder. Diese drei Entwicklungen bieten großes Potenzial für die quantitative und qualitative Gewaltforschung. Der vorliegende Beitrag diskutiert Videodatenanalyse, Triangulation und Mixed Methods-Ansätze sowie Big Data und bespricht den gegenwärtigen und zukünftigen Einfluss der genannten Entwicklungen auf das Forschungsfeld. Das Augenmerk liegt besonders darauf, (1) wie neuere Videodaten genutzt werden können, um Gewalt zu untersuchen und wo ihre Vor- und Nachteile liegen, (2) wie Triangulation und Mixed Methods-Ansätze umfassendere Analysen und theoretische Verknüpfungen in der Gewaltforschung ermöglichen und (3) wo Anwendungen von Big Data und Computational Social Science in der Gewaltforschung liegen können.For decades violence research has relied on interviews with victims and perpetrators, on participant observation, and on survey methods, and most studies focused on either qualitative or quantitative analytic strategies. Since the turn of the millennium, researchers can draw on a range of new approaches: there are increasing amounts of video data of violent incidents, triangulation and mixed methods approaches become ever more sophisticated, and computational social sciences introduce big data analysis to more and more research fields. These three developments hold great potential for quantitative and qualitative violence research. This paper discusses video data analysis, mixed methods, and big data in the context of current and future violence research. Specific focus lies on (1) potentials and challenges of new video data for studying violence; (2) the role of triangulation and mixed methods in enabling more comprehensive violence research from multiple theoretical perspectives, and (3) what potential uses of big data and computational social science in violence research may look like

Establishing urban gardens on vacant land while considering international good practices: a legal case study from Portugal

There is a gap in most countries’ legal frameworks regarding their ability to connect vacant land and urban gardens. Hence, research is needed to understand how regulation on vacant land might be designed to promote a more sustainable purpose to it. Urban gardens are a type of urban agriculture that could be potentiated by such regulation. The aim of this paper is to show how that can be done through the Municipal Master Plans (MMP) legal and regulatory framework for the Portuguese case, by reviewing worldwide good practices on vacant land restorations for urban sustainable development. The paper comprises a literature review on good practices adopted in different countries regarding vacant lot restoration. The evaluation of good practices is built on the achievement of the three pillars of sustainability. Five Portuguese MMP were used, as empirical data, to support the design of a new legal and regulatory framework. The goal is to enhance the sustainable destination of vacant land by converting it into urban gardens. The analysis of these MMPs demonstrated that they disregard urban gardens as a tool to promote urban sustainability in spite of global trends to make urban territorial planning and management instruments greener. An additional outcome of this paper is to categorise different types of vacant land in the five municipalities under analysis according to their suitability for urban garden conversion. The design of the legal framework enhancing the conversion of vacant land into urban garden will contribute to the 2030 international agenda goals’ achievement. The proposal would create an innovative legal framework in the case of Portugal that could be replicated by other countries.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Assessing alternative futures for agriculture in Iowa, U.S.A.

The contributions of current agricultural practices to environmental degradation and the social problems facing agricultural regions are well known. However, landscape-scale alternatives to current trends have not been fully explored nor their potential impacts quantified. To address this research need, our interdisciplinary team designed three alternative future scenarios for two watersheds in Iowa, USA, and used spatially-explicit models to evaluate the potential consequences of changes in farmland management. This paper summarizes and integrates the results of this interdisciplinary research project into an assessment of the designed alternatives intended to improve our understanding of landscape ecology in agricultural ecosystems and to inform agricultural policy. Scenario futures were digitized into a Geographic Information System (GIS), visualized with maps and simulated images, and evaluated for multiple endpoints to assess impacts of land use change on water quality, social and economic goals, and native flora and fauna. The Biodiversity scenario, targeting restoration of indigenous biodiversity, ranked higher than the current landscape for all endpoints (biodiversity, water quality, farmer preference, and profitability). The Biodiversity scenario ranked higher than the Production scenario (which focused on profitable agricultural production) in all endpoints but profitability, for which the two scenarios scored similarly, and also ranked higher than the Water Quality scenario in all endpoints except water quality. The Water Quality scenario, which targeted improvement in water quality, ranked highest of all landscapes in potential water quality and higher than the current landscape and the Production scenario in all but profitability. Our results indicate that innovative agricultural practices targeting environmental improvements may be acceptable to farmers and could substantially reduce the environmental impacts of agriculture in this region.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43158/1/10980_2004_Article_5253979.pd

Assessing Alternative Futures of Agriculture in Iowa, U.S.A.

The contributions of current agricultural practices to environmental degradation and the social problems facing agricultual regions are well known. However, landscape-scale alternatives to current trends have not been fully explored nor their potential impacts quantified. To address this research need, our interdisciplinary team designed three alternative future scenarios for two watersheds in Iowa, USA, and used spatially-explicit models to evaluate the potential consequences of changes in farmland management. This paper summarizes and integrates the results of this interdisciplinary research project into an assessment of the designed alternatives intended to improve our understanding of landscape ecology in agricultural ecosystems and to inform agricultural policy. Scenario futures were digitized into a Geographic Information System (GIS), visualized with maps and simulated images, and evaluated for multiple endpoints to assess impacts of land use change on water quality, social and economic goals, and native flora and fauna. The Biodiversity scenario, targeting restoration of indigenous biodiversity, ranked higher than the current landscape for all endpoints (biodiversity, water quality, farmer preference, and profitability). The Biodiversity scenario ranked higher than the Production scenario (which focused on profitable agricultural production) in all endpoints but profitability, for which the two scenarios scored similarly, and also ranked higher than the Water Quality scenario in all enpoints except water quality. The Water Quality scenario, which targeted improvement in water quality, ranked highest of all landscapes in potential water quality and higher than the current landsape and the Production scenario in all but profitability. Our results indicate that innovative agricultural practices targeting environmental improvements may be acceptable to farmers and could substantially reduce the environmental impacts of agriculture in this region.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/49340/1/LE04Santel.pd