Mapping the planet’s critical natural assets

Sustaining the organisms, ecosystems and processes that underpin human wellbeing is necessary to achieve sustainable development. Here we define critical natural assets as the natural and semi-natural ecosystems that provide 90% of the total current magnitude of 14 types of nature’s contributions to people (NCP), and we map the global locations of these critical natural assets at 2 km resolution. Critical natural assets for maintaining local-scale NCP (12 of the 14 NCP) account for 30% of total global land area and 24% of national territorial waters, while 44% of land area is required to also maintain two global-scale NCP (carbon storage and moisture recycling). These areas overlap substantially with cultural diversity (areas containing 96% of global languages) and biodiversity (covering area requirements for 73% of birds and 66% of mammals). At least 87% of the world’s population live in the areas benefitting from critical natural assets for local-scale NCP, while only 16% live on the lands containing these assets. Many of the NCP mapped here are left out of international agreements focused on conserving species or mitigating climate change, yet this analysis shows that explicitly prioritizing critical natural assets and the NCP they provide could simultaneously advance development, climate and conservation goals.We thank all the participants of two working groups hosted by Conservation International and the Natural Capital Project for their insights and intellectual contributions. For further advice or assistance, we thank A. Adams, K. Brandon, K. Brauman, A. Cramer, G. Daily, J. Fisher, R. Gould, L. Mandle, J. Montgomery, A. Rodewald, D. Rossiter, E. Selig, A. Vogl and T. M. Wright. The two working groups that provided the foundation for this analysis were funded by support from the Marcus and Marianne Wallenberg Foundation to the Natural Capital Project (R.C.-K. and R.P.S.) and the Betty and Gordon Moore to Conservation International (R.A.N. and P.M.C.)

British Science Fiction 1990-2017: technology themed fiction in the light of the new millennium and speculative ‘Singularity’

Alan Colman explores the intimate connection between fiction and science and how this unique combination can shape public perception of innovation. By ‘pulp’ fiction, Alan Colman is talking about magazines like Amazing Stories (1926), Science Wonder Stories (1929), and Astounding Stories (1930), to name just three, all of which have their fair share of cloning narratives and many of them dystopic. As the twentieth century made way for the twenty‐first century, the science fiction (SF) imaginings of malleable life gained intensive scrutiny, especially in the genre. Previously fictionalized ideas of hybrids, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology were seen as achievable, as the imagined binaries between nature/technology and artificial/real became more complicated than ever before. Adam Roberts, a prolific British SF writer and critic, suggests that the SF genre ‘is better defined as technology fiction’

HRM as a Pluralistic Forum: Assumptions and Prospects for developing a distinctive research capability

In this paper, the dilemmas facing HRM on how to establish itself as a distinct area and yet avoid a particular disciplinary allegiance and level of analysis are assessed. HRM is seen, like business strategy, as a meeting ground between established disciplines. HRM research to date is then assessed in this light and problems of the potential limitation ofcontributions of other relevant disciplines are assessed. The established findings in organizational development (OD) have, it is argued, been particularly neglected in HRM analyses of organization change. The importance of developing pluralistic HRM research is re-affirmed

Guiding conservation efforts in the Hantam–Tanqua–Roggeveld (South Africa) using diversity parameters

The Hantam–Tanqua–Roggeveld subregion falls within the Succulent Karoo and Fynbos Biomes, which are both recognised as global biodiversity hotspots that should be conserved. The objective of this study was to gather baseline biodiversity information that can be used to guide conservation efforts. A total of 40 Whittaker plots were surveyed in the subregion and the various diversity parameters calculated from the data were compared across the subregion and to available data for the Succulent Karoo and Fynbos Biomes. Species richness per 1000 m2 ranged from nine to 100 species across the subregion. Species richness for all plot sizes < 1000 m2 was significantly lower for the Tanqua Karoo than for both the Winter Rainfall Karoo and Mountain Renosterveld. The latter two areas did not differ significantly from each other with regard to species richness. Species richness was significantly higher only at the 1000 m2 scale in the Mountain Renosterveld compared to the Winter Rainfall Karoo. Evenness and Shannon and Simpson indices did not differ significantly between the Mountain Renosterveld and Winter Rainfall Karoo; however, these values were significantly higher than for the Tanqua Karoo. A principal coordinate analysis of species richness data at seven plot sizes produced three distinct clusters. One cluster represented the Tanqua Karoo, with low species richness, evenness, and Shannon and Simpson indices. Another cluster represented mostly Mountain Renosterveld vegetation, which was characterised by a high species richness, evenness, and Shannon and Simpson indices. The third cluster was formed by the remaining Mountain Renosterveld plots as well as the Winter Rainfall Karoo plots. The high species richness values found in the various vegetation units can add valuable information to the conservation planning arena by providing information on biodiversity parameters and their spatial distribution. This information can assist with conservation efforts in the Hantam, Tanqua and Roggeveld areas. Conservation implications: Conservation and development of the Hantam–Tanqua– Roggeveld subregion is hampered by a lack of information on floristic diversity. The results of the current study indicated areas of low diversity and contrasting areas of high diversity. These data can be used to guide effective conservation and management of the floristic diversity