Net Replacement Rates of the Unemployed. Comparison of various approaches

The study reviews various approaches applied in computing net replacement rates for the unemployed. Until now, there have been relatively new comparative studies on net replacement rates. Most of them are based on simulation calculations for a set of stylised households. The stylised calculation method has given rise to discussion for a number of reasons such as different results in various studies, non-representative stylised households and sensitivity to various assumptions. In order to verify the results of stylised approaches, the Commission services have conducted this study on the basis of the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) data from 1993. For this purpose, an empirical equivalent for the net replacement rate is constructed by comparing the out-of-work income of the unemployed with the in-work income of the employed. The main body of the study analyses the results of the ECHP data. Moreover, the study discusses differences in approaches applied in various studies, their advantages and disadvantages as well as data issues.echp, labour, market

Netting down gross earnings data in the LIS database: an evaluation of two procedures

LIS researchers who seek to perform country-comparative and / or trend analyses have to account for the fact that in some LIS datasets income variables were reported net of taxes and social security contributions, while in other datasets income variables were reported gross of taxes and social security contributions. In this technical paper we discuss, develop, and evaluate two `netting down procedures' that help reduce bias that would be introduced by directly comparing net and gross datasets. Results of evaluating the performance of these netting down procedures indicate that the validity of the comparison of net and gross datasets can be greatly improved when netting down procedures are applied. In several cases, however, substantial amounts of bias remain

Inequality in Human Development:An empirical assessment of thirty-two countries

One of the most frequent critiques of the HDI is that is does not take intoaccount inequality within countries in its three dimensions. In this paper, weapply a simply approach to compute the three components and the overallHDI for quintiles of the income distribution. This allows a comparison of thelevel in human development of the poor with the level of the non-poor withincountries, but also across countries. This is an application of the methodpresented in Grimm et al. (2008) to a sample of 21 low and middle incomecountries and 11 industrialized countries. In particular the inclusion of theindustrialized countries, which were not included in the previous work, impliesto deal with a number of additional challenges, which we outline in this paper.Our results show that inequality in human development within countries ishigh, both in developed and industrialized countries. In fact, the HDI of thelowest quintiles in industrialized countries is often below the HDI of therichest quintile in many middle income countries. We also find, however, astrong overall negative correlation between the level of human developmentand inequality in human development

Inequality in Human Development: An empirical assessment of thirty-two countries

One of the most frequent critiques of the HDI is that it does not take into account inequality within countries in its three dimensions. We use a simple approach, which allows to compute the three components and the overall HDI for quintiles of the income distribution. This allows to compare the level in human development of the poor with the level of the non-poor within countries, but also across countries. This is an application of the method presented in Grimm et al. (2008) to a sample of 21 low and middle income countries and 11 industrialized countries. Our results show that inequality in human development within countries is high both in developed and industrialized countries. In fact, the HDI of the lowest quintiles in industrialized countries is often below the HDI of the richest quintile in many middle income countries. We also find, however, a strong overall negative correlation between the level of human development and inequality in human development.Human Development, Income Inequality, Differential Mortality, Inequality in Education

Dá-lhe P

info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Nitrogen Deposition Effects on Soil Properties, Microbial Abundance, and Litter Decomposition Across Three Shrublands Ecosystems From the Mediterranean Basin

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) inputs in the Mediterranean Basin are projected to increase due to fossil fuel combustion, fertilizer use, and the exacerbation of agricultural production processes. Although increasing N deposition is recognized as a major threat to ecosystem functioning, little is known about how local environmental conditions modulate ecosystem function response to N addition, particularly in the context of Mediterranean-Basin ecosystems. Here, we assess how N addition affects important ecosystem properties associated with litter decomposition, soil physical-chemical properties, soil extracellular enzymatic activity and microbial abundance across three long-term N addition experimental sites in the Mediterranean Basin. Sites were located in El Regajal (Madrid, Spain), Capo Caccia (Alghero, Italy), and Arrábida (Lisbon, Portugal) and are all representative of Mediterranean shrublands. No common pattern for litter decomposition process or other studied variables emerged among the control plots of the studied sites. Nitrogen supply only affected soil pH, a major driver of decomposition, in two out of three experimental sites. Moreover, when we explored the role of N addition and soil pH in controlling litter decay, we found that the effects of these factors were site-dependent. Our results point out to local ecosystem features modulating N addition effects in controlling litter decomposition rates in Mediterranean ecosystems, suggesting that the responses of soil functioning to N deposition are site-dependent. These findings provide further knowledge to understand contrasting ecosystem responses to N additions based on a single field experiments

Inequality in Human Development: An Empirical Assessment of 32 Countries

One of the most frequent critiques of the HDI is that is does not take into account inequality within countries in its three dimensions. In this paper, we apply a simply approach to compute the three components and the overall HDI for quintiles of the income distribution. This allows a comparison of the level in human development of the poor with the level of the non-poor within countries, but also across countries. This is an application of the method presented in Grimm et al. (World Development 36(12):2527–2546, 2008) to a sample of 21 low and middle income countries and 11 industrialized countries. In particular the inclusion of the industrialized countries, which were not included in the previous work, implies to deal with a number of additional challenges, which we outline in this paper. Our results show that inequality in human development within countries is high, both in developed and industrialized countries. In fact, the HDI of the lowest quintiles in industrialized countries is often below the HDI of the richest quintile in many middle income countries. We also find, however, a strong overall negative correlation between the level of human development and inequality in human development

Nitrogen addition drives decomposition rates in Mediterranean ecosystems via changes in soil properties and microbial attributes

Abstract de la comunicación oral presentada en 20th EGU General Assembly, EGU2018, Proceedings from the conference held 4-13 April, 2018 in Vienna, Austria, p.14022.- Enlace online https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018EGUGA..2014022M/abstractAlthough anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition has been identified as a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in Mediterranean environments, little is known on the role of soil properties and microbial attributes in mediating the response of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition to N inputs. Here, we used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of N inputs on SOM decomposition rates across different N loads and three Mediterranean semi-arid ecosystems. Our SEM showed that soil ammonium availability decreases soil pH leading to a reduction of the fungi/bacteria ratio and to an increase in soil enzymatic activity, whereas it also has a negative direct and mayor effect on soil decomposition rate. This increase in soil enzymatic activity, which was conditioned not only by soil pH but also by the fungi/bacteria ratio and inorganic N content, had a positive direct effect on the soil decomposition rate. Together, our results suggest that changes in soil properties and microbial attributes linked to N additions can affect the SOM decomposition rates across three regions from the Mediterranean Basin. These findings improve our understanding of the links between soil chemical properties, microbial communities and function in Mediterranean ecosystems, especially in the context of anthropogenic N enrichment.N

Nitrogen deposition effects on soil properties, microbial abundance, and litter decomposition across three shrublands ecosystems from the Mediterranean Basin

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) inputs in the Mediterranean Basin are projected to increase due to fossil fuel combustion, fertilizer use, and the exacerbation of agricultural production processes. Although increasing N deposition is recognized as a major threat to ecosystem functioning, little is known about how local environmental conditions modulate ecosystem function response to N addition, particularly in the context of Mediterranean-Basin ecosystems. Here, we assess how N addition affects important ecosystem properties associated with litter decomposition, soil physical-chemical properties, soil extracellular enzymatic activity and microbial abundance across three long-term N addition experimental sites in the Mediterranean Basin. Sites were located in El Regajal (Madrid, Spain), Capo Caccia (Alghero, Italy), and Arrábida (Lisbon, Portugal) and are all representative of Mediterranean shrublands. No common pattern for litter decomposition process or other studied variables emerged among the control plots of the studied sites. Nitrogen supply only affected soil pH, a major driver of decomposition, in two out of three experimental sites. Moreover, when we explored the role of N addition and soil pH in controlling litter decay, we found that the effects of these factors were site-dependent. Our results point out to local ecosystem features modulating N addition effects in controlling litter decomposition rates in Mediterranean ecosystems, suggesting that the responses of soil functioning to N deposition are sitedependent. These findings provide further knowledge to understand contrasting ecosystem responses to N additions based on a single field experiments

Ecological impacts of atmospheric pollution and interactions with climate change in terrestrial ecosystems of the Mediterranean Basin:Current research and future directions

Mediterranean Basin ecosystems, their unique biodiversity, and the key services they provide are currently at risk due to air pollution and climate change, yet only a limited number of isolated and geographically-restricted studies have addressed this topic, often with contrasting results. Particularities of air pollution in this region include high O3 levels due to high air temperatures and solar radiation, the stability of air masses, and dominance of dry over wet nitrogen deposition. Moreover, the unique abiotic and biotic factors (e.g., climate, vegetation type, relevance of Saharan dust inputs) modulating the response of Mediterranean ecosystems at various spatiotemporal scales make it difficult to understand, and thus predict, the consequences of human activities that cause air pollution in the Mediterranean Basin. Therefore, there is an urgent need to implement coordinated research and experimental platforms along with wider environmental monitoring networks in the region. In particular, a robust deposition monitoring network in conjunction with modelling estimates is crucial, possibly including a set of common biomonitors (ideally cryptogams, an important component of the Mediterranean vegetation), to help refine pollutant deposition maps. Additionally, increased attention must be paid to functional diversity measures in future air pollution and climate change studies to establish the necessary link between biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services in Mediterranean ecosystems. Through a coordinated effort, the Mediterranean scientific community can fill the above-mentioned gaps and reach a greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying the combined effects of air pollution and climate change in the Mediterranean Basin