47 research outputs found
Panarchy: opportunities and challenges for ecosystem management
Addressing unexpected events and uncertainty represents one of the grand challenges of the Anthropocene, yet ecosystem management is constrained by existing policy and laws that were not formulated to deal with today's accelerating rates of environmental change. In many cases, managing for simple regulatory standards has resulted in adverse outcomes, necessitating innovative approaches for dealing with complex socialâecological problems. We highlight a project in the US Great Plains where panarchy â a conceptual framework that emerged from resilience â was implemented at project onset to address the continued inability to halt largeâscale transition from grassâtoâtree dominance in central North America. We review how panarchy was applied, the initial outcomes and evidence for policy reform, and the opportunities and challenges for which it could serve as a useful model to contrast with traditional ecosystem management approaches
âSub-Primeâ Water, Low-Security Entitlements and Policy Challenges in Over-Allocated River Basins: the Case of the MurrayâDarling Basin
Environmental policy is often implemented using market instruments. In some cases, including carbon taxing, the links
between financial products and the environmental objectives, are transparent. In other cases, including water markets, the
links are less transparent. In Australiaâs MurrayâDarling Basin (MDB), financial water products are known as âentitlementsâ,
and are similar to traditional financial products, such as shares. The Australian water market includes âLow Securityâ
entitlements, which are similar to âsub-primeâ mortgage bonds because they are unlikely to yield an amount equal to their
financial worth. Nearly half the water purchased under the MurrayâDarling Basin Plan for environmental purposes is âLow
Securityâ. We suggest that the current portfolio of water held by the Australian Government for environmental purposes
reflects the mortgage market in the lead-up to the global financial crisis. Banks assumed that the future value of the mortgage
market would reflect past trends. Similarly, it is assumed that the future value of water products will reflect past trends,
without considering climate change. Historic records of allocations to âLow Securityâ entitlements in the MDB suggest that,
in the context of climate change, the Basin Plan water portfolio may fall short of the target annual average yield of 2075 GL
by 511 GL. We recommend adopting finance sector methods including âhedgingâ âLow Securityâ entitlements by purchasing
an additional 322â2755 GL of âLow Securityâ, or 160â511 GL of âHigh Securityâ entitlements. Securing reliable
environmental water is a global problem. Finance economics present opportunities for increasing the reliability of
environmental flows
When Ambiguity Rules:The Emergence of Adaptive Governance from (In)congruent Frames of Knowledge Sharing Technology
Adaptive Management of Riverine Socio-ecological Systems
If ongoing change in ecosystems and society can render inflexible policies obsolete, then management must dynamically adapt as a counter to perennial uncertainty. This chapter describes a general synthesis of how to make decision-making more adaptive and then explores the barriers to learning in management. We then describe how one such process, known as adaptive management (AM), has been applied in different river basins, on which basis we discuss AMâs strengths and limitations in various resource management contexts
Evidence for widespread hydrated minerals on asteroid (101955) Bennu
Early spectral data from the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission reveal evidence for abundant hydrated minerals on the surface of near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu in the form of a near-infrared absorption near 2.7â”m and thermal infrared spectral features that are most similar to those of aqueously altered CM-type carbonaceous chondrites. We observe these spectral features across the surface of Bennu, and there is no evidence of substantial rotational variability at the spatial scales of tens to hundreds of metres observed to date. In the visible and near-infrared (0.4 to 2.4â”m) Bennuâs spectrum appears featureless and with a blue (negative) slope, confirming previous ground-based observations. Bennu may represent a class of objects that could have brought volatiles and organic chemistry to Earth
The dynamic geophysical environment of (101955) Bennu based on OSIRIS-REx measurements
The top-shaped morphology characteristic of asteroid (101955) Bennu, often found among fast-spinning asteroids and binary asteroid primaries, may have contributed substantially to binary asteroid formation. Yet a detailed geophysical analysis of this morphology for a fast-spinning asteroid has not been possible prior to the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission. Combining the measured Bennu mass and shape obtained during the Preliminary Survey phase of the OSIRIS-REx mission, we find a notable transition in Bennuâs surface slopes within its rotational Roche lobe, defined as the region where material is energetically trapped to the surface. As the intersection of the rotational Roche lobe with Bennuâs surface has been most recently migrating towards its equator (given Bennuâs increasing spin rate), we infer that Bennuâs surface slopes have been changing across its surface within the last million years. We also find evidence for substantial density heterogeneity within this body, suggesting that its interior is a mixture of voids and boulders. The presence of such heterogeneity and Bennuâs top shape are consistent with spin-induced failure at some point in its past, although the manner of its failure cannot yet be determined. Future measurements by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will provide insight into and may resolve questions regarding the formation and evolution of Bennuâs top-shape morphology and its link to the formation of binary asteroids
Changing Relationships through Interactions: Preliminary Accounts of Parent-Child Interactions after Undertaking Individual Parent Training
Purpose: Parent and child interaction training has been increasingly investigated over recent years. However, the mechanisms of change within individual training programmes are not well understood. To explore the factors that can facilitate or inhibit meaningful changes in interactions and ultimately relationships, the current study employed semi-structured interviews to obtain first person accounts from parents who had undertaken an individualised parent-training programme. Method: Three participants provided accounts of the training programme and their perceived impact upon interactions with their children were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: The analysis resulted in three themes, which illustrate how participants adjusted their interactional style with their child to varying degrees through enhanced personal awareness, increased understanding of their childâs emotional and interactional needs, and accepting the reciprocity of interactional accountability. Discussion: Changes in interactional style enabled participants to alter their perceptions of their own behaviours, their childâs behaviours, and how they influenced one another through interactions. Recommendations for future research and therapeutic practice are discussed in the context of the findings and the existing evidence base