Review of the XXII APCOM International Symposium : Berlin, West germany, Sept 17-21, 1990

Non peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Environmental Management for Agriculture (EMA) and Sustainable Agriculture

John Tzilivakis and Kathleen Lewis, ‘Environmental Management for Agriculture (EMA) and Sustainable Agriculture’, paper presented at the 2nd European Conference of the European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment, 27 – 30 September 1999, Bonn, Germany.Submitted Versio

Wild bee toxicity data for pesticide risk assessments

Pollination services are vital for agriculture, food security and biodiversity. Although many insect species provide pollination services, honeybees are thought to be the major provider of this service to agriculture. However, the importance of wild bees in this respect should not be overlooked. Whilst regulatory risk assessment processes have, for a long time, included that for pollinators, using honeybees (Apis mellifera) as a protective surrogate, there are concerns that this approach may not be suffciently adequate particularly because of global declines in pollinating insects. Consequently, risk assessments are now being expanded to include wild bee species such as bumblebees (Bombus spp.) and solitary bees (Osmia spp.). However, toxicity data for these species is scarce and are absent from the main pesticide reference resources. The aim of the study described here was to collate data relating to the acute toxicity of pesticides to wild bee species (both topical and dietary exposure) from published regulatory documents and peer reviewed literature, and to incorporate this into one of the main online resources for pesticide risk assessment data: The Pesticide Properties Database, thus ensuring that the data is maintained and continuously kept up to date. The outcome of this study is a dataset collated from 316 regulatory and peer reviewed articles that contains 178 records covering 120 different pesticides and their variants which includes 142 records for bumblebees and a further 115 records for other wild bee species.Peer reviewe

Managing on-farm environmental impact using EMA.

There have been many initiatives recently aimed towards delivering policies relating to agricultural sustainability, particularly with respect to minimising environmental impact without compromising profitability. The final objective of these is normally to protect food and environmental quality, and preserve biodiversity and the natural heritage. The agricultural industry is in a time of significant change, and managing change can be difficult not least when trying to ensure awareness, response to new opportunities and compliance with legislation. For changes of this type to be practical and attractive, farmers need considerable guidance on what is inevitably a more labour, resource and time demanding process. The Environmental Management for Agriculture (EMA) software provides one mechanism by which this support can be distributed. It contains a library, decision support tools, databases, planning aids and audits for farm use. It has been available for several years in England and Wales and is now available for Scotland.Non peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Exposure assessment to support on-farm risk characterisation for pesticides

C. D. Brown, K. Lewis, and A. Hart, ‘Exposure assessment to support on-farm risk characterisation for pesticides’ paper presented at the European Meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), 26 -29 August 20001, Copenhagen, Denmark.Peer reviewe

Identifying integrated options for agricultural climate change mitigation

Purpose: In order to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions it is essential that all industry sectors have the appropriate knowledge and tools to contribute. This includes agriculture, which is considered to contribute about a third of emissions globally. This paper reports on one such tool: IMPACCT: Integrated Management oPtions for Agricultural Climate Change miTigation. Design/methodology/approach: IMPACCT focuses on greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sequestration and associated mitigation options. However, it also attempts to include information on economic and other environmental impacts in order to provide a more holistic perspective. The model identifies mitigation options, likely economic impacts and any synergies and trade-offs with other environmental objectives. The model has been applied on 22 case study farms in seven member states. Findings: The tool presents some useful concepts for developing carbon calculators in the future. It has highlighted that calculators need to evolve from simply calculating emissions to identifying cost effective and integrated emissions reduction options. Practical implications: IMPACCT has potential to become an effective means of provided targeted guidance, as part of a broader knowledge transfer programme based on an integrated suite of guidance, tools and advice delivered via different media. Originality/value: IMPACCT is a new model that demonstrates how to take a more integrated approach to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions on farms across Europe. It is a holistic carbon calculator that presents mitigation options in the context other environmental and economic objectives in the search for more sustainable methods of food production.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

The relationship between the urica and correctional treatment in a sample of violent male offenders

The usefulness of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment scale (URICA) in identifying treatment progress in violent adult offenders was evaluated in this archival study. The 198 men in the study participated in a 21-week treatment program at a Canadian federal institution. On average, individuals were 31 years old with four prior violent convictions. Most offenders were Aboriginal (53%). Study variables included self-report questionnaires (e.g., URICA, Criminal Sentiments Scale-Modified, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory), staff ratings of treatment participation (Group Behaviour Checklist [GBC]), and risk measures (Security Reclassification Scale, Violence Risk Scale [VRS], Psychopathy Checklist-Revised). Post-treatment institutional misconduct information was available for 193 individuals and recidivism data was collected for the 50 individuals who were released to the community. The psychometric properties of the URICA for this sample were similar to those found in past research. Cluster analyses of pre- and post-treatment URICA data produced five-cluster solutions. These cluster profiles were consistent with previous research and rank-ordered to reflect increasing readiness for change. Profile rankings correlated significantly with anger problems and antisocial attitudes at pre- and post-treatment. GBC scores for individuals in less advanced profiles "peaked" at treatment week 15 and then decreased, whereas those in more advanced profiles improved throughout treatment. Differences in GBC scores between these two profile groups may have been delayed until the second half of treatment due to the increasing difficulty of treatment material. Profile rankings were not correlated with risk measures and correlated minimally with institutional misconduct/recidivism. Profile rankings correlated significantly with stage membership (from the VRS) at pre- but not post-treatment; the different time frames involved in scoring the URICA and VRS resulted in the URICA being more susceptible to fluctuations in mood or environment at post-treatment. When comparing the strength of the correlations between profile rankings and VRS stages with other variables, the VRS stages had significantly stronger correlations with risk measures. Overall, the URICA was useful in identifying treatment progress, and the URICA's strength was in identifying short-term change rather than long-term change, which was consistent with past research

Spatial analysis of the benefits and burdens of ecological focus areas for water-related ecosystem services vulnerable to climate change in Europe

There are many concerns regarding the effects of climate change including threats to ecosystem services. Rural land use can influence these services and there is scope for associated policies to steer decisions towards maximising benefits and minimising burdens. In Europe, for example, ecological focus areas (EFAs), introduced in the last reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, can have impacts on ecosystem services which vary with location, including potential trade-offs between benefits and burdens in some regions. This study combines the outputs from two continental-scale projects to provide a new perspective on the potential impact of EFAs for water-related ecosystem services under threat from climate change. An ecosystem service impact indicator framework was applied in conjunction with a climate change vulnerability assessment. This resulted in vulnerability and area weighted performance scores for dilution, filtration, water provision, and flood regulation services for 10 EFAs in 1256 regions. Best, average and worst case scenario maps were created that highlight the relative benefits and burdens of EFAs. Six EFAs have been identified which have not been activated in nine European Member States but which have potential to provide benefits. Eleven Member States have been identified which have regions where 3 EFAs should be avoided due to potential burdens. This analysis facilitates broad spatial targeting on a continental-scale of specific EFAs which may help maintain (and ideally increase) ecosystem service capacity and resilience in vulnerable regions.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Teaching Mathematics at an African University -- My Experience

For eight years (2010-2018), I was the head of the math department at The University of The Gambia, a small, new (started in 1999) university in a very small, mostly Muslim, West African country that most Americans have never heard of. During that time, a number of other Americans and Europeans came to teach for shorter periods of time. I will talk about what this experience was like for us, both the good and the bad. I will describe the possibilities for others to spend either a sabbatical or an extended period of time at such a university and suggest some questions to ask of a university before going there. I think teaching overseas can be a real ministry opportunity

Adapting to climate change : Assessing the vulnerability of ecosystem services in Europe in the context of rural development

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version. The final publication is available at Springer via https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-013-9507-6.Over the past decade, efforts to move towards a low carbon economy have been increasingly coupled with the acknowledgement that we also need to develop climate resilient economies, capable of adapting and responding to changes in climate. To shift society in these directions we need to quantify impacts in relation to these objectives and develop cost-effective interventions. Techniques for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions are relatively well established and enable identification of hotspots where there is emissions reduction potential. However, there are no established techniques to assess and quantify adaptation vulnerability issues and identify hotspots for intervention. This paper presents work undertaken at a European level with the objective of identifying potential hotspots where ecosystem services may be vulnerable to climate change and thus where intervention may be required under the European Rural Development Programme. A pragmatic and relatively simple approach is presented, based on data that is readily available across Europe. The vulnerability assessments cover: Water (quality: dilution and filtration, regulation: flooding and provision); soils (erosion and organic matter); and biodiversity (forest fires, migration and pollination). The framework and assessments presented are considered fit for purpose (at a basic level) and they are potentially valuable tools for targeting limited resources to achieve desirable outcomes. They also contribute towards providing a better understanding of the climate change challenges we face and support the formulation of solutions to optimally address those challenges. There is scope to further improvement and a number of options are discussed and explored within this paperPeer reviewe