The role of GEOSS in monitoring ecosystems and their services

Global declines in biodiversity and ecosystem services have triggered national and international agreements to halt and reverse these trends (e.g. the Convention on Biological Diversity's target of achieving a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010). These agreements have highlighted the need for monitoring systems which accurately describe the conditions and trends of biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as the drivers of change. GEOSS aims to contribute to these needs in the ecosystems and biodiversity benefit areas. We demonstrate the benefits of GEOSS in the monitoring and assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services using a case study from a semi-arid biodiversity hotspot in South Africa. Using data poor (non-GEOSS) and data rich (GEOSS) scenarios we highlight the substantial differences found in biodiversity and ecosystem service condition. We link these findings to the need for careful and well informed management of ecosystems in semi-arid regions. We conclude with a summary of the costs and benefits of improved data

The rationality of retirement preservation decisions: A conceptual model

Low retirement savings rates, coupled with a lack of preservation of retirement funds when individuals move jobs, could have adverse repercussions on a person’s ability to retire with sufficient funds. The traditional response to low preservation levels has been to impose taxes on cash withdrawals and in some cases to mandate preservation. However, without a complete understanding of the factors that drive low levels of preservation, these policy interventions might do more harm than good. This study carries out a critical, interdisciplinary literature review to construct a conceptual model of the factors which potentially lead to low preservation levels and outlines proposed interventions. The resultant model highlights the distinct differences in the drivers of rational and irrational behaviour and therefore, the distinctly different interventions required. Little is known about the rationality or otherwise of the decision making process of individuals in the retirement preservation context, however current interventions only assist if individuals display bounded willpower. It is essential that a better understanding of the decision making process is obtained to determine whether existing solutions address the problem adequately

Conserving pattern and process in the Southern Ocean: designing a Marine Protected Area for the Prince Edward Islands

South Africa is currently proclaiming a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of its sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. The objectives of the MPA are to: 1) contribute to a national and global representative system of MPAs, 2) serve as a scientific reference point to inform future management, 3) contribute to the recovery of the Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides), and 4) reduce the bird bycatch of the toothfish fishery, particularly of albatrosses and petrels. This study employs systematic conservation planning methods to delineate a MPA within the EEZ that will conserve biodiversity patterns and processes within sensible management boundaries, while minimizing conflict with the legal toothfish fishery. After collating all available distributional data on species, benthic habitats and ecosystem processes, we used C-Plan software to delineate a MPA with three management zones: four IUCN Category Ia reserves (13% of EEZ); two Conservation Zones (21% of EEZ); and three Category IV reserves (remainder of EEZ). Compromises between conservation target achievement and the area required by the MPA are apparent in the final reserve design. The proposed MPA boundaries are expected to change over time as new data become available and as impacts of climate change become more evident

Financial capability and emergency savings among South Africans living above and below the poverty line

Emergency savings provide a buffer against financial shocks, particularly among low‐income households. Despite the importance of these funds in lessening financial hardship, many households have not set aside emergency funds. It has been suggested that financial capability may play a role in financial behaviour. Therefore, this study considers whether financial capability is associated with saving for emergencies and whether there are differences in factors that predict emergency savings behaviour among those living below and above the poverty line. Using data from a sample of South Africans, logistic regression is used to determine the predictors of emergency savings. The study finds that those with higher levels of financial capability, related to financial self‐efficacy and having access to a bank account, are more likely to have emergency savings compared with those with lower levels of financial capability. However, no evidence is found to suggest a relationship between objectively measured financial knowledge and emergency savings. Therefore, the findings suggest that self‐assessed financial ability, as measured by financial self‐efficacy, might be more important than objectively assessed ability in the context of individuals making responsible financial choices. Differences in the predictors of emergency savings for those living above and below the poverty line related to socioeconomic and demographic differences, whereas the same financial capability predictors were significant predictors in both samples. The study provides unique insights into the predictors of emergency savings in a developing market context and identifies the characteristics of those who are likely to be financially resilient to unexpected economic shocks. The importance of the broader financial capability construct in predicting emergency savings, for both those living above and below the poverty line, suggests that programmes aimed at encouraging emergency savings should focus on enhancing financial self‐efficacy and financial inclusion.http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/ijcs2021-07-01hj2019Financial Managemen

The role of financial literacy and advice in financial decision making

Financial decision making is complex and individuals either need to have the financial knowledge to make the correct decisions, or they need to ask for advice from experts. However, there are two key questions pertaining to financial advice. Firstly, do financially unsophisticated individuals know that they need advice, and do they therefore ask for assistance? Secondly, if they do ask for advice, are financially unsophisticated individuals able to assess the quality of the advice received? A growing body of research is focused on determining to what extent financial advice can act as a substitute for low levels of financial literacy. To date, studies have found conflicting results. This study used data from a national survey of South Africans to determine whether advice could substitute for low levels of financial sophistication. Additionally, the quality of advice in pre-retirement cash-out decisions was assessed using survey data collected at a university. The results indicate that professional financial advice complements financial literacy, while advice from other sources could substitute for low levels of financial sophistication. Furthermore, the study found that with respect to pre-retirement cash-out decisions, financially unsophisticated individuals followed advice from human resources departments or fund administrators and received quality advice.http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=2233

Emotional Regulation At Walt Disney World Deep Acting Vs. Surface Acting

The objective of this study is to examine the emotional regulation strategies used by Walt Disney World on-stage employees as a way to fulfill requirements set forth by the company. Ten Disney on-stage employees were interviewed off-property in Orlando. The emotional regulation framework was divided into several categories: (1) a distinction between deep acting and surface acting, (2) emotional deviance, and (3) emotional exhaustion. “Surface acting” is a strategy by which employees display company-imposed emotions not genuinely felt, whereas “deep acting” occurs when employees do feel the emotions that they are required to express (Hochschild, 1983). Throughout the data reduction process, five key themes surfaced as the most relevant to the initial research questions: (1) Self-Motivated Deep Acting, (2) Organizational Expectations for Surface Acting, (3) “Back-Stage” vs. “Front-Stage” Dichotomy, (4) Benefits of Emotional Training, and (5) Negative Effects of Emotional Regulation. Overall, the researcher found that a key strategy of emotional regulation that Disney employees use frequently is surface acting, although deep acting was found to be more successful. In addition, while emotional exhaustion was a common problem among employees, very few of them will actually engage in emotional deviance in order to avoid the negative consequences of surface acting. Lastly, it was found that highly skilled Walt Disney World employees will have already internalized emotional regulation training and display rules that manage emotional behavior. Therefore, it becomes less essential for the Disney Company to formally monitor its employees’ facial expressions and emotional behavior in the futur

Simulierte CO2- und H2O-Flüsse über heterogenem Gelände - Kopplung eines Photosynthese-Modells mit dem meteorologischen Modell FOOT3DK

Das Hauptziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist eine realistische Darstellung von Massen-Fl{\"u}ssen {\"u}ber heterogenem Gel{\"a}nde. F{\"u}r diese Zielsetzung wird das mesoskalige meteorologische Modell FOOT3DK mit einem Photosynthese-Modell gekoppelt um Oberfl{\"a}chen-Fl{\"u}sse von CO$_2$ und H$_2$O {\"u}ber verschiedenen Vegetationsarten zu simulieren. Das Photosynthese-Modell besteht aus einem C3 single-leaf Modell und einem erweiterten big-leaf Modell (sun/shade) zur Hochskalierung von der Blatt- auf die Pflanzenbestands-Skala. Bei dieser Skalierungs-Prozedur wird der Pflanzenbestand in einen sonnenbeschienenen und einen im Schatten liegenden Anteil unterteilt. Die Offline-Version des Photosynthese-Modells wird f{\"u}r zwei verschiedene Vegetationsarten validiert (Zuckerr{\"u}be und Weizen). F{\"u}r mehrere Tage der Jahre 2008 und 2009 stimmen die simulierten Fl{\"u}sse von CO$_2$ gut mit Eddy-Kovarianz Messungen in einem l{\"a}ndlich gepr{\"a}gten Untersuchungsgebiet im Westen Deutschlands {\"u}berein.\\ Das gekoppelte FOOT3DK-Photosyntese Modell simuliert f{\"u}r einzelne Gitterpunkte CO$_2$- und H$_2$O-Fl{\"u}sse, die gut zu gemessenen Fl{\"u}ssen passen. Neben dem generellen Tagesgang werden auch die Gr{\"o}{\ss}enordnungen von dem Modell erfasst. Die {\"u}ber die stomatale Leitf{\"a}higkeit an die Photosynthese gekoppelten latenten W{\"a}rmefl{\"u}sse werden realistischer wieder gegeben als mit dem urspr{\"u}nglich verwendeten Jarvis-Schema. Dennoch zeigen die mit dem gekoppelten Modell simulierten Fl{\"u}sse teilweise deutliche Defizite, die haupts{\"a}chlich in Initialisierungs- und Randproblemen begr{\"u}ndet sind.\\ Der Einfluss der Oberfl{\"a}chen-Heterogenit{\"a}t auf die simulierten Oberfl{\"a}chen-Fl{\"u}sse wird von dem gekoppelten Modell gut wieder gegeben. Erwartungsgem{\"a}{\ss} werden die Fl{\"u}sse {\"u}berwiegend von der dominierenden Landnutzungsklasse bestimmt. Die CO$_2$-Fl{\"u}sse sind hierbei hoch mit dem jeweiligen Blattfl{\"a}chen-Index korreliert, w{\"a}hrend diese Korrelation f{\"u}r den latenten W{\"a}rmefluss schw{\"a}cher ausf{\"a}llt. Die photosynthetische CO$_2$-Aufnahme durch die Stomata ist bekannterma{\ss}en an die Transpiration der Pflanzen gekoppelt. Das Modell ist in der Lage, die dadurch miteinander verbundenen Fl{\"u}sse von CO$_2$ und H$_2$O zu repr{\"a}sentieren. Der Netto CO$_2$-Fluss und die Transpiration (und in einem geringeren Ma{\ss}e der Netto CO$_2$-Fluss und der latente W{\"a}rmestrom) sind in dem gekoppelten Modell stark anti-korreliert.\\ Die simulierten Oberfl{\"a}chen-Fl{\"u}sse haben einen Einfluss auf die Struktur der planetaren Grenzschicht. Die generellen Strukturen werden von dem gekoppelten Modell realistisch erfasst, w{\"a}hrend gemessene mikroskalige Strukturen nicht zufriedenstellend wieder gegeben w$So stimmen aus dem Modell abgeleitete Haushaltsgleichungen f{\"u}r ein ganzes Luftpaket gut mit Flugzeug-Messungen {\"u}berein, w{\"a}hrend Punkt-zu-Punkt Vergleiche von simulierten Konzentrationen von atmosph{\"a}rischem CO$_2$und H$_2O mit Messungen einige Defizite der f{\"u}r die Simulationen ben{\"o}tigten Eingangs- und Randdaten aufdecken.\\ Das in der Literatur h{\"a}ufig untersuchte Verschlie{\ss}en der Pflanzen-Stomata unter erh{\"o}htem atmosph{\"a}rischen CO_2$wird von dem gekoppelten Modell gut wieder gegeben. Die Abnahme der simulierten stomatalen Leitf{\"a}higkeit f{\"u}hrt zu einer verminderten Transpiration und damit zu einer Abnahme des gesamten latenten W{\"a}rmeflusses. Das zeigt, dass f{\"u}r die Modellierung realit{\"a}tsnaher H$_2$O-Fl{\"u}sse der in dieser Arbeit ber{\"u}cksichtigte photosynthetische CO$_$ auch in zuk{\"u}nftigen Untersuchungen mit simuliert werden sollte. Da sich diese Ergebnisse mit denen anderer Studien decken, bildet das gekoppelte Modell ein n{\"u}tzliches Werkzeug f{\"u}r die Untersuchung der Austauschprozesse zwischen Biosph{\"a}re und Atmosph{\"a}re in zuk{\"u}nftigen Klima-Szenarien

A multicriteria assessment of regional sustainability options in the Northern Province, South Africa

Please read the abstract in the section, 00front, of this documentThesis (DPhil (Zoology))--University of Pretoria, 2007.Zoology and Entomologyunrestricte

Corporate sustainability consciousness : a climate change perspective

Climate change is increasingly acknowledged as one of the greatest threats facing humanity in the 21st century. Given the enormity of the potential impact of global warming, worldwide collective action from all sectors of society appears to be the only appropriate way to address the problem. Within the corporate sector companies appear to be responding to the threat through the introduction of climate change mitigation strategies. Understanding the motivations driving such action could provide insights into how best to engage companies to ensure a sustainable future. The purpose of this study was to determine the motivation for corporate investment in sustainability projects, with a focus on the voluntary climate change mitigation actions of South African companies. The first phase of the study focused on conceptual research through a literature review which investigated sustainability in a corporate context with a view to understanding motivational drivers. The second phase of the study empirically tested the insights obtained from the literature. The literature review led to the development of a proposed conceptual framework which illustrated proposed linkages between business and the natural environment. The key motivational drivers supporting these linkages appeared to be legitimacy concerns, the financial business case and moral responsibility. The empirical phase took the form of an exploratory case study focused on six South African companies across three industries. An interpretive research process was followed using pattern models to analyse the data. To enhance transparency and rigour, qualitative data analysis software was used in the analytical process. Three key areas were investigated and the main findings were as follows: Overview of sustainability values: The sustainability values of the companies reflected top management commitment to environmental issues and a shift away from a purely technocentric view of the business relationship with the natural environment however, these sentiments were not necessarily translated into actions. Motivations for sustainability initiatives: As suggested by the proposed conceptual framework, company motivations were driven by legitimacy concerns, the financial business case and moral responsibility. In addition, the study revealed a number of sub-drivers which provided additional information regarding motivations. Impact of voluntary action on company value: From a value perspective there was limited disclosure regarding the financial implications of climate change mitigation, however there was general agreement that the financial impact of mitigation action would be either neutral or positive as current strategies focus predominantly on energy and operational efficiencies. Therefore, while companies appear to be motivated by a range of factors, the key consideration in decisions taken focus predominantly on aspects linked to the current paradigm dominated by financial concerns. There is little evidence of an evolution of sustainability consciousness which could potentially lead to a new sustainable business paradigm. In light of these findings, it would appear that current solutions to climate change issues need to send financial signals to companies to ensure adoption of mitigation actions. Further work is required to understand what will drive a fundamental value shift in the way companies operate to ensure a sustainable future. CopyrightDissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2009.Financial Managementunrestricte