Spatial sensitivity of species habitat patterns to scenarios of land use change (Switzerland)

Long-term societal trends which include decreasing population in structurally poorer regions and changes in agricultural policies have been leading to land abandonment in various regions of Europe. One of the consequences of this development includes spontaneous forest regeneration of formerly open-land habitats with likely significant effects on plant and animal diversity. We assess potential effects of agricultural decline in Switzerland (41,000km2) and potential impacts on the spatial distribution of seven open-land species (insects, reptile, birds) under land-use change scenarios: (1) a business-as-usual scenario that extrapolates trends observed during the last 15years into the future, (2) a liberalisation scenario with limited regulation, and (3) a lowered agricultural production scenario fostering conservation. All scenarios were developed in collaboration with socio-economists. Results show that spontaneous reforestation is potentially minor in the lowlands since combinations of socio-economic (better accessibility), topographic (less steep slopes), and climatic factors (longer growing seasons) favour agricultural use and make land abandonment less likely. Land abandonment, spontaneous reforestation, and subsequent loss of open-land, however, are potentially pronounced in mountainous areas except where tourism is a major source of income. Here, socio-economic and natural conditions for cultivation are more difficult, leading to higher abandonment and thus reforestation likelihood. Evaluations for open-land species core habitats indicate pronounced spatial segregation of expected landscape change. Habitat losses (up to 59%) are observed throughout the country, particularly at high elevation sites in the Northern Alps. Habitat gains under the lowered agricultural production scenario range between 12 and 41% and are primarily observed for the Plateau and the Northern Alp

Mehr als Grün : Profilkatalog naturnahe Pflege

Im Projekt «Praxismodule für naturnahe Pflege» wurden Fachwissen, und Handlungsanleitungen zur Etablierung naturnaher Pflege und der Förderung der Biodiversität in urbanen Grünräumen, sowie zum schonenderen Umgang mit Ressourcen (Material, Betriebsmittel, Arbeitszeiten) vermittelt. Das Ziel des Projekts war es, durch die Förderung und Umsetzung naturnaher Pflegemassnahmen die Artenvielfalt sowie den schonenden Umgang mit Ressourcen in urbanen Grünräumen zu fördern. Im Rahmen des Projekts wurden zwei Produkte zur Förderung naturnaher Pflege von urbanen Grünräumen entwickelt: Der vorliegende Profilkatalog zur naturnahen Pflege verschiedener Grünraumprofile, sowie ein Praxishandbuch, inklusive objektbezogener Pflegeübersichtspläne und Jahrespflegeplaner. Der Profilkatalog dient der Definition der einzelnen Profile, ihrer Einordnung in das Spannungsfeld von Nutzung, Gestaltung und ökologischem Potential sowie dem Beschrieb naturnaher Pflege- und weiterer Förderungs- und Entwicklungsmassnahmen. Er ist als Nachschlagewerk und Weiterbildungsinstrument konzipiert

A cross-cultural analysis of ridesharing intentions and compliance with COVID-19 health guidelines: The roles of social trust, fear of COVID-19, and trust-in-God

Ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft have been substantially affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on social capital theory, the current research investigates how social trust relates to three types of trust in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines and consumers\u27 ridesharing intentions. Analyzing data from two economically and culturally distinct countries, the results suggest that social trust positively affects trust in platform companies\u27 compliance with COVID-19 guidelines (TPC), but not (or to a lesser extent) trust in drivers\u27 (TDC) and other riders (TRC) compliance with COVID-19 guidelines in both the United States and Bangladesh. Importantly, TPC, TDC, and TRC are positively related with consumers\u27 ridesharing intentions in the United States but not in Bangladesh. Furthermore, the analysis reveals two counterintuitive moderating effects of fear of COVID-19 and trust in God. The results provide important insights on factors affecting the ridesharing industry in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they emphasize the importance of considering cultural context in understanding consumers’ intentions to engage in the sharing economy

Context in augmented reality marketing: Does the place of use matter?

Augmented reality (AR) integrates virtual content into a consumer\u27s perception of the real world. While academic interest in AR is growing, most prior research has focused on consumer evaluations of AR content and neglected the physical context in which AR content is consumed. Addressing this research gap, two experimental studies showed that context (e.g., experiencing a virtual sofa at home vs. in a university classroom) impacts consumer judgments and evaluations. The results reveal two primary effects of context. First, contexts in which virtual objects meet users\u27 personal and cultural expectations associated with a specific location (e.g., a sofa in a living room) increase plausibility. However, such functionally appropriate contexts (counterintuitively) decrease local presence (i.e., the perception that the virtual product is “here”). Study 2 extends this model by showing that plausibility (a rational and deliberate assessment of AR content) and local presence both impact utilitarian benefits, whereas local presence has a stronger effect on perceived physical tangibility. The findings extend prior theory on the psychological mechanisms impacting judgment and presence in AR, and they provide managers with important insights regarding the influence of context on downstream variables in their AR and metaverse marketing strategies

What is XR? Towards a Framework for Augmented and Virtual Reality

Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality, and Extended Reality (often – misleadingly – abbreviated as XR) are commonly used terms to describe how technologies generate or modify reality. However, academics and professionals have been inconsistent in their use of these terms. This has led to conceptual confusion and unclear demarcations. Inspired by prior research and qualitative insights from XR professionals, we discuss the meaning and definitions of various terms and organize them in our proposed framework. As a result, we conclude that (1) XR should not be used to connote extended reality, but as a more open approach where the X implies the unknown variable: xReality; (2) AR and VR have fundamental differences and thus should be treated as different experiences; (3) AR experiences can be described on a continuum ranging from assisted reality to mixed reality (based on the level of local presence); and (4), VR experiences can be conceptualized on a telepresence-continuum ranging from atomistic to holistic VR

La selección de alternativas asimétricamente dominadas: Una réplica del efecto de atracción en un contexto culturalmente diferente (The choice of asymmetrically dominated alternatives: A replication of the attraction effect in a culturally different context)

Abstract. Decision conflicts in consumer decision making occur when product attributes are negatively correlated and consumers perceive the alternatives as having different advantages and disadvantages. Consumers may resort to some kind of avoidance choice behavior in order to attenuate the negative emotions frequently connected with such conflicts. In this research, the attraction effect is tested in the Northern part of Mexico. The results show that despite cultural differences between Mexico and the United States, the attraction effect occurred in a sample of educated, younger university students in Mexico. However, whereas the attraction effect occurred in a setting based on product choices, it did not occur in a setting based on point-distributions. These findings are discussed in the context of previous research on avoidance choice, and possible explanations for the findings are suggested. Resumen. Los conflictos en la toma de decisiones del consumidor surgen cuando los atributos del producto están correlacionados negativamente, y los consumidores perciben que las alternativas tienen diferentes ventajas y desventajas. Los consumidores recurren a diferentes comportamientos para evitar conflictos que les permitan atenuar las emociones negativas que, frecuentemente, están conectadas con esos conflictos. En esta investigación se prueba el efecto de atracción en un área del norte de México. Los resultados muestran que, a pesar de las diferencias culturales entre México y Estados Unidos, el efecto de atracción se presenta en una muestra de estudiantes mexicanos. Sin embargo, mientras que el efecto de atracción ocurre en la selección entre opciones de productos, no ocurre en un diseño que se basa en asignar puntos a las diferentes opciones. Estos resultados se consideran en el contexto de investigaciones previas sobre consumidores que prefieren evitar la toma de decisiones, y se sugieren posibles explicaciones para los resultados

Multi-brand loyalty in consumer markets: a qualitatively-driven mixed methods approach

Purpose—Although multi-brand loyalty (MBL) in consumer markets has been identified in previous brand loyalty research, empirical studies have not yet explored the facets of its different types. This article seeks a deeper understanding of MBL by investigating its different types and facets. Design/methodology/approach—This study uses a sequential, qualitatively-driven mixed method design consisting of in- depth interviews and supplementary survey research. Findings—The findings of this study suggest that mood congruence, identity enhancement, unavailability risk reduction and market competition are the most important facets that explains the two types of MBL (complementary-based and product substitutes). Furthermore, the findings show that the family factor can motivate consumers to be multi-brand loyal by adding brands to an initially family- endorsed brand. Research limitations/implications —This study advances the conceptual foundations of MBL and extends previous research on brand loyalty. Some of the findings may be limited to the economic and cultural context of relatively affluent countries with an abundance of market offers. Practical implications—Marketing managers gain insights into how to manage brand loyalty as well as how to transition from MBL to single-brand loyalty. Originality/value —The study generates novel insights into the facets of different types of MB

La selección de alternativas asimétricamente dominadas: Una réplica del efecto de atracción en un contexto culturalmente diferente

Keywords: asymetrically dominated alternatives, attraction effect, avoidance choice behavior, negative emotionsAbstract. Decision conflicts in consumer decision making occur when product attributes are negatively correlated and consumers perceive the alternatives as having different advantages and disadvantages. Consumers may resort to some kind of avoidance choice behavior in order to attenuate the negative emotions frequently connected with such conflicts. In this research, the attraction effect is tested in the Northern part of Mexico. The results show that despite cultural differences between Mexico and the United States, the attraction effect occurred in a sample of educated, younger university students in Mexico. However, whereas the attraction effect occurred in a setting based on product choices, it did not occur in a setting based on point-distributions. These findings are discussed in the context of previous research on avoidance choice, and possible explanations for the findings are suggested.Palabras clave: alternativas asimétricamente dominadas, comportamiento para evitar conflictos, efecto de atracción, emociones negativasResumen. Los conflictos en la toma de decisiones del consumidor surgen cuando los atributos del producto están correlacionados negativamente, y los consumidores perciben que las alternativas tienen diferentes ventajas y desventajas. Los consumidores recurren a diferentes comportamientos para evitar conflictos que les permitan atenuar las emociones negativas que, frecuentemente, están conectadas con esos conflictos. En esta investigación se prueba el efecto de atracción en un área del norte de México. Los resultados muestran que, a pesar de las diferencias culturales entre México y Estados Unidos, el efecto de atracción se presenta en una muestra de estudiantes mexicanos. Sin embargo, mientras que el efecto de atracción ocurre en la selección entre opciones de productos, no ocurre en un diseño que se basa en asignar puntos a las diferentes opciones. Estos resultados se consideran en el contexto de investigaciones previas sobre consumidores que prefieren evitar la toma de decisiones, y se sugieren posibles explicaciones para los resultados

Wildlife and humans in outdoor recreational areas near cities

<p>In Naherholungsräumen von Städten herrscht reger Betrieb: am Tag, aber auch in Randzeiten und teils gar in der Nacht. Wildtiere und deren Lebensräume geraten dadurch unter Druck. In stark frequentierten Gebieten sind Rehe weniger aktiv und für viele Wildtierarten ist der Lebensraum reduziert. Wildruhezonen, eine eingeschränkte Er- schliessung und die Lenkung der Besuchenden verbessern die Lebensbedingungen der Wildtiere.</p> <p> </p