Ecosystem Functions and Services

Kenya has a higher vulnerability to climate change, which ranks it at 151 globally out of 181 in the 2019 ND-GAIN Index, due to its position and location in the Horn of Africa. It is projected that more rain, worse droughts and the emergence of drug-resistant diseases will be experienced in the coming decades, especially over the next 30 years, if little is done to improve resilience and adaptive capacity. On this basis, capacity building, among other measures, has been recommended as an enabler of climate change action, including resilience building. Guided by Hans Kelsen’s legal positivism theory, this study sought to assess how capacity-building measures have been included and implemented under Kenya’s climate change law regime, with Kisumu County serving as a case study. The study covered four areas: (1) assessment of capacity building mandates, (2) how various climate change actors are fulfilling their mandates, (3) barriers and opportunities and (4) options for strengthening capacity development. The data collection exercise involved the review of literature and key informant interviews. A purposeful sampling procedure was used to identify participants. The study established that capacity building is progressing moderately at institutional, systemic and individual levels. Legal frameworks exist, institutions have been established, and actors are active, but with varied capacities and approaches to capacity building. There exist challenges too: limited finances, inadequate skills, low awareness, weak coordination, lack of incentives, limited data and competition among global institutions. As we advance, the study recommends the development of a locally-led, need-based, multi-sector, and multi-stakeholder framework for capacity building for climate action at national and county levels.

Kenya has a higher vulnerability to climate change, which ranks it at 151 globally out of 181 in the 2019 ND-GAIN Index, due to its position and location in the Horn of Africa. It is projected that more rain, worse droughts and the emergence of drug-resistant diseases will be experienced in the coming decades, especially over the next 30 years, if little is done to improve resilience and adaptive capacity. On this basis, capacity building, among other measures, has been recommended as an enabler of climate change action, including resilience building. Guided by Hans Kelsen’s legal positivism theory, this study sought to assess how capacity-building measures have been included and implemented under Kenya’s climate change law regime, with Kisumu County serving as a case study. The study covered four areas: (1) assessment of capacity building mandates, (2) how various climate change actors are fulfilling their mandates, (3) barriers and opportunities and (4) options for strengthening capacity development. The data collection exercise involved the review of literature and key informant interviews. A purposeful sampling procedure was used to identify participants. The study established that capacity building is progressing moderately at institutional, systemic and individual levels. Legal frameworks exist, institutions have been established, and actors are active, but with varied capacities and approaches to capacity building. There exist challenges too: limited finances, inadequate skills, low awareness, weak coordination, lack of incentives, limited data and competition among global institutions. As we advance, the study recommends the development of a locally-led, need-based, multi-sector, and multi-stakeholder framework for capacity building for climate action at national and county levels.

This study focuses on socioeconomically disadvantaged areas that desperately need green infrastructures because of their low elevation and adjacent location to hurricane-prone coastal areas. By investigating educational attainment, poverty, and ethnicity data taken from the United States Census Bureau and combining it with Google Earth Street View data, green infrastructures are identi􀅭ied and studied in this work. Within Houston, Texas, the socioeconomically disadvantaged have more green infrastructures than higher education and income levels. The results argue that the pattern of green infrastructure development in Houston is not so much due to the residents' interest and concern for the environment. However, it is more likely the result of past flood events. This research indicates that ethnicity may correlate more closely to the location of green infrastructures within the Houston area than previously indicated. The results are discussed with the historical perspective as well as the federal and local government's effort and potential policy implications.

In response to ecological crises and the demand for sustainable well-being, this study examines how regenerative and sensory design can be integrated into small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), focusing on retail and exhibition contexts. While regenerative strategies are often linked to large-scale projects, their principles are shown here to be scalable and highly relevant for smaller, experience-driven businesses. Drawing on systems thinking, biomimicry, and Cradle to Cradle, the study frames design as a means of enhancing ecological and human flourishing. Sensory design complements this by engaging all senses to deepen emotional resonance and spatial awareness. The brand Aesop illustrates how material authenticity, sensory richness, and local narratives can inspire SMEs to adopt similar practices. The research translates theory into practical guidelines—biophilic interventions, circular materials, and multisensory strategies—positioning SMEs as catalysts for ecological and cultural regeneration.

As a pioneer case of Payment for environmental services (PES), the PES program of Costa Rica has been largely analysed regarding efficiency and equity. However, distinctions between regions and types of land users have not been thoroughly analysed. Based on the results of a survey of 190 beneficiaries of PES program in two regions of the countries (respectively the Huertar norte region in the North and the Osa peninsula in the South), we capture the motivations of land users to join the PES program. Quantitative and qualitative analysis reveal that beyond the limits due to constraint of legal access to PES programs, the motivation to join PES differs according to characteristics, strategy and perceptions of land users. We draw a typology of PES beneficiaries that differs regarding their motivations and use of PES. We shows motivations and use of PES also differ according to regional factors (historical and cultural factors as well as development options) and to types of PES (conserv...

The main purpose of this seminar paper is to review the direct, indirect, option &non-⁴use values of forest resources. The  direct use values are the values that we get from timber &NTFPS (non timber forest products) where as forest can also provides us with indirect use values like environmental protection services. Not only these forests in addition it offers an option value that means direct & indirect values for future use and non-use values these are values we obtain from culture & biodiversity. Therefore, to get all the mentioned values forests has to be managed sustainably & valuated. In sum, different countries use different valuation techniques or methods depending up on their objective & all valuations are estimations due to this they are uncertain.

The main purpose of this seminar paper is to review the direct, indirect, option &nonuse values of forest resources. The direct use values are the values that we get from timber &NTFPS (non timber forest products) where as forest can also provides us with indirect use values like environmental protection services. Not only these forests in addition it offers an option value that means direct & indirect values for future use and non-use values these are values we obtain from culture & biodiversity. Therefore, to get all the mentioned values forests has to be managed sustainably & valuated. In sum, different countries use different valuation techniques or methods depending up on their objective & all valuations are estimations due to this they are uncertain. vi.

This paper intended to assess the impact of commercialization on the farm household resources allocation decision in the gum belt and to analyze the determinants of gum agro-forestry system practice in dry–land agriculture in western Sudan. Results from commercialization ...

Recently soft generalized closed sets play important role in studying separation axioms in soft topological spaces. The aim of the present communication is to introduce the concepts of soft semi star star generalized continuous functions and soft semi star star generalized irresolute functions and study their basic properties in soft topological spaces.

Local, regional, and global policies to manage protect and restore our oceans and coasts call for the inclusion of ecosystem services (ES) in policy-relevant research. Marine and coastal ES and the associated benefits to humans are usually assessed, quantified, and mapped at the ecosystem level to inform policy and decision-making. Yet those benefits may reach humans beyond the provisioning ecosystem, at the regional or even global level. Current efforts to map ES generated by a single ecosystem rarely consider the distribution of benefits beyond the ecosystem itself, especially at the regional or global level. In this article, we elaborate on the concept of “extra-local” ES to refer to those ES generating benefits that are enjoyed far from the providing ecosystem, focusing on the marine environment. We emphasize the spatial dimension of the different components of the ES provision framework and apply the proposed conceptual framework to food provision and climate regulation ES prov...

The paper builds around the key messages from the recently completed study -The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). The paper essentially attempts to map the problem encountered in up scaling the findings from site/local scale to national scale. First, the rationale for economic analysis of ecosystem services has been discussed and then the challenges in applying economics to ecosystems and biodiversity have been identified. The paper discusses the role of economic valuation, discounting and necessary indicator for it. Social and cultural context of economic valuation along with the nature of value articulating institutions have been highlighted. Most of these issues typically deal with ecosystem services at site and project level. The paper lays down the need for arriving at national policies from microlevel valuation work. The paper suggests that for national policy formulation and design, valuation and accounting of ecosystem services must be seen in the economy wide context where interdependence of sectors is the key. The paper shows the existing hiatus between this level of analysis of economics of ecosystems and the need for credible national level policies. An attempt has been made to highlight necessary steps to arrive at national level policies on ecosystems management.

Faced with adversarial climatic and physical conditions and an inept socioeconomic development priorities, Northern Ghana remains one of the regions that are most vulnerable to climate-related shocks and disturbances in semi-arid Africa. Because of the effect of frequent floods, droughts, and bushfires, entire livelihoods in Ghana's predominantly smallholder agricultural population are under threat. In this paper, we present a model for community-based resilience assessment. This model was developed through an experiment conducted in selected rural communities in the Tolon and Wa West Districts in the Northern and Upper West Regions of Ghana. This experiment underpinned an ongoing five-year collaborative research project,

The livestock sub-sector accounted for about 10% to the national GDP and its share of agricultural GDP was estimated at 31%. The agricultural sector provides employment for about 75% of the labor force, increase income; reduce poverty and the attainment of food and nutritional security of its inhabitants. The predominant livestock production system in the Gambia is the low input subsistence system of management as a result the government decides to shit the gear from subsistence to commercialization focusing on the value-chain system. One objective of this study is to examine the production status and marketing of livestock as well as identifying challenges and possible solutions. This study was conducted in the 7 administrative regions of the Gambia targeting different actors along the supply chain. The sample size of this research finding was 240 questionnaires which were administered in 16 lumos (local markets) and 4 abattoirs.Based on research findings we conclude that, heavily ...

Mountains are among the most fragile environments on Earth. They are also rich repositories of biodiversity and water and providers of ecosystem goods and services on which downstream communities (both regional and global) rely. Mountains are home to some of the world's most threatened and endemic species, as well as to some of the poorest people, who are dependent on the biological resources. Realising the importance of mountains as ecosystems of crucial significance, the Convention on Biological Diversity specifically developed a Programme of Work on Mountain Biodiversity in 2004 aimed at reducing the loss of mountain biological diversity at global, regional, and national levels by 2010. Despite these activities, mountains are still facing enormous pressure from various drivers of global change, including climate change. Under the influence of climate change, mountains are likely to experience wide ranging effects on the environment, natural resources including biodiversity, and socioeconomic conditions. Little is known in detail about the vulnerability of mountain ecosystems to climate change. Intuitively it seems plausible that these regions, where small changes in temperature can turn ice and snow to water, and where extreme slopes lead to rapid changes in climatic zones over small distances, will show marked impacts in terms of biodiversity, water availability, agriculture, and hazards, and that this will have an impact on general human well being. But the nature of the mountains, fragile and poorly accessible landscapes with sparsely scattered settlements and poor infrastructure, means that research and assessment are least just where they are needed most. And this is truest of all for the Hindu Kush-Himalayas, with the highest mountains in the world, situated in developing and least developed countries with few resources for meeting the challenges of developing the detailed scientific knowledge needed to assess the current situation and likely impacts of climate change. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) undertook a series of research activities together with partners in the Eastern Himalayas from 2007 to 2008 to provide a preliminary assessment of the impacts and vulnerability of this region to climate change. Activities included rapid surveys at country level, thematic workshops, interaction with stakeholders at national and regional levels, and development of technical papers by individual experts in collaboration with institutions that synthesised the available information on the region. A summary of the findings of the rapid assessment was published in 2009, and is being followed with a series of publication comprising the main vulnerability synthesis report and technical papers on the thematic topics climate change projections, biodiversity, wetlands (this publication), water resources, hazards, and human wellbeing. Clearly much more, and more precise, information will be needed to corroborate the present findings. Nevertheless, this series of publications highlights the vulnerability of the Eastern Himalayan ecosystems to climate change as a result of their ecological fragility and economic marginality. It is hoped that it will both inform conservation policy at national and regional levels, and stimulate the coordinated research that is urgently needed.

Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (eNGOs) carry out actions to protect, conserve, and restore the environment which routinely rely on the cultural interactions between people and nature. These include data collection by recreationists such as bird watchers, engagement of supporters via aesthetic images used in communications, and the use of sense of place and heritage values to recruit volunteers. Despite these examples, there is currently little information on the adoption of CES concepts by eNGOs, which CES are most frequently used, or for which eNGO activities CES are most valuable. It is also unclear to what extent eNGOs perceive cultural activities through a CES framework. This chapter addresses these knowledge gaps through an original study into the use of CES by eNGOs. Based on a survey of current eNGO approaches, we highlight the CES which are most frequently operationalised by eNGOs, and the mechanisms involved. Our work identifies current best-practice for utilising CES and barriers limiting further adoption.

n la cultura europea, la noción de «jardín» tiene una raíz etimológica común derivada del latín de la Edad Media . Éste se refería a un lugar cerrado y amurallado, evolución del romano hasta el medieval, y testimoniaba la permanencia tipológica de una arquitectura con pórtico perimetral, presente también en el claustro de los monasterios. Con el término «jardín» hoy se identifica un espacio abierto delimitado artificialmente y caracterizado por patrones y formas generalmente regulares y geométricas, referencia explícita a los cánones clásicos de las artes visuales. La presencia humana es la idea principal del jardín: en ella está su poder sobre la naturaleza, y también sobre la sociedad [1]. En realidad su Gardinium hortus conclusus gardinus

Объектом исследования выступает труд как целенаправленная, сознательная, целесообразная и созидательная детальность человека. Предмет исследования -полезность, как некое благотворное воздействие, которое оказывает сознательная целенаправленная созидательная и целесообразная деятельность человека на что-либо или кого-либо. Цель исследования -на научных основаниях представить математическое выражение количественного измерения полезности труда, имеющего эквивалентную действительности объяснительную силу. Методологией исследования выступают -социологический метод Э. Дюркгейма, методы общей теории полезности, изложенные в работах В. Парето и Е. Е. Слуцкого; принципы оценки экономических событий, изложенные академиком АН СССР Л. В. Канторовичем, основания логики доказательств, изложенные в работах академика АН СССР А. Н. Колмогорова. Авторы поднимают общенаучные вопросы познания «целого» и «части». На основании эвристического анализа и последовательной аргументации представлено определение таких категорий, как социальное и общественное благо. Аргументировано их онтологическое различие. Аргументировано различие экономической категории «стоимость» и аксиологической категории «ценность», объяснена их возможная эквивалентность как тождество различного. Авторы выделили категории стоимости, ценности, полезности труда. Представили методологические основания их оценки. Представили практический пример оценки полезности труда.

Urban areas are expanding at a very fast rate worldwide. The task of managing urban growth has increased in both scope and complexity and has become one of the most important challenges in the 21st century. This article aims to examine the urban development and optimize spatial patterns of future urban growth allocation based on scenarios to provide a basis for urban environmental management in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. We developed an artificial neural network based urban growth allocation model for the valley. This predictive model optimizes spatial patterns of future urban growth allocation under the three scenarios, i.e., spontaneous, environment-protecting, and resources-saving. The predicted spatial patterns mirrors where and how the urban development in the valley is likely heading by 2050 and provides a crucial information on land availability for future land development projects. The results suggest that the current urban development process is in critical stage where urban and peri-urban areas will face unprecedented stress on land resources costing river and forest ecosystems and other environmentally sensitive areas by the next decade. Rural vicinities will face regional imbalance on urban growth allocations. However, there are still possibilities to improve urban environment and manage the potential land demands in the valley by enforcing the urban growth policies strictly and altering the current growth trend as revealed in the environment-protecting and resources-saving scenarios.

Mangroves are among the most productive ecosystems, known for their diverse provisioning, regulating, supporting and aesthetic services. The ecosystem directly supports livelihoods and ensures food security and nutrition of people through its ecosystem services (ES) such as wood, fish and medicines while protecting them by stabilizing shorelines, reducing flooding, and mitigating climate change and natural disasters such as tsunamis. In so doing, the ecosystem promotes several sustainable development goals (SDGs) and co-benefits several others. This relationship however remains under explored with limited studies on the co-benefit scenarios and the cognitive views of mangrove resource users. This paper highlights gaps in knowledge of the role of mangroves in development and the implications on ecosystem governance. The study analysed the 'ideal' scenario presented in secondary data in comparison to community perspectives on mangrove-related development. Bearing in mind the complexity of the concept of sustainability, development was categorised at local, national and international levels, and community members were asked to mention any known links to mangrove ES at any of the three levels. Results indicate that 45.4 % (n=166) of the community understood the roles of mangroves in development. The majority (79.5 %) were able to link the ecosystem to local (village level) development, 43.1 % to both local and national development while only 13.5 % could link the ecosystem to local, national, and international development. Forty-three per cent (n=157) of the community did not know of the relationship between mangroves and development while 11.6 % (n=43) felt that mangroves do not contribute to development. The study further disaggregated this knowledge socio-demographically, highlighting opportunities for enhancing governance, conservation and the use of mangrove ecosystems in Kenya.

Poverty continues to be a problem in some parts of the world and is typically severe among small-scale farmers. If this issue is not addressed, farmers will continue to fall into poverty thereby stifling the achievement of Kenya Vision 2030's plan to transform the country to middle income status by 2030. Biofuel investments are emerging as a possible alternative livelihood diversification strategy. However, little is known on farmers' preferences for biofuel investments. Given Kenya's Agricultural Sector Development Strategy (ASDS) 2010-2020, it was important to analyze smallholder farmers' livelihood strategies and preferences for biofuel investments in terms of how they should be designed so as not to stifle ASDS vision of ensuring a food secure and prosperous nation. Specifically, the study focused on characterization of smallholder farmers' livelihood strategies and preferences for biofuel investments. The survey data was generated from a multistage area sample of smallholder farmers in Western Kenya. Descriptive statistics were used in the characterization of smallholder farmers' livelihood strategies. Further, the Choice Experiment (CE) approach and the Random Parameter Logit (RPL) were used to elicit farmers' preferences for biofuel investments. Pooled results from the preference analysis indicated that farmers had higher preference for short contract length compared to long contract length. In addition to this, farmers had a higher preference for quarter piece of land to be leased out compared to three quarter piece of land to be leased out. Also, they had higher preference for permanent type of employment compared to casual type of employment. Lastly, farmers in both areas had a higher preference for renewable contracts compared to non-renewable contracts. The study also estimated Compensating Surplus (CS) measures, which indicated that farmers in Kakamega are willing to accept higher compensation compared to their counterparts in Bungoma for them to participate in biofuel investments. These findings offer useful insights to policy-makers on the design of biofuel investments to address the livelihood challenges in Western Kenya and other areas with similar conditions.

Although the way in which local communities in The Gambia identify drought has remained predominantly traditional, their response to the hazard has undergone significant change over the past three decades. Some of the changes, even if short-lived, have been beneficial, and have reduced the severity and duration of the hardships and penury which can accompany droughts in this part of the world. Nevertheless, other changes in the local response system, coupled with wider social, economic and political developments over the decades, are threatening to weaken the tolerance of local communities to hazards and increase their exposure to droughts. This article examines some of the strategies which local communities employ to identify and respond to drought, the extent to which responses have changed over the past decades, and the implications of some of these changes for the vulnerability of local communities in The Gambia.

Forest services form a complex socio-economic system. Methods of socio-economic valuation of forest services are differentiated by their socio-economic content, purpose of use and data availability. Timber production service is valued by average annual incomes from market sale in current prices, hunting and game management service by average annual incomes from market sale of commodities and hunting services in current prices, non-wood production service by shadow value (incomes) of forest fruits and mushrooms picking, hydrologic services by the cost-of-prevention approach (costs of technical measures substituting the respective forest services, soil protection services by costs-of-compensation approach (costs of measures compensating or removing damage cause by destructed soil protection forest service, CO 2 sequestration by average unit price of international trade with CO 2 permits and year amount of CO 2 sequestered in timber increment, health-hygienic (recreational, health) and cultural-educational forest services by an expert approach.

I hereby declare that this thesis is the result of my own original research work that no part has been presented for another degree in this University or elsewhere. Candidate's Signature:………………………………… Date…………………. We hereby declare that the preparation and presentation of this thesis were supervised in accordance with the guidelines on supervision of thesis laid down by the university of Cape Coast.

Admin Login. Integrated study of solid waste management system in the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) – The Gambia. Badgie, Dawda and Muda, Azizi and Abd. ... ID Code: 18552. Deposited By: Khairil Ridzuan Khahirullah. Deposited On: 05 Jan 2012 14:38. ...

Climate change and variability present challenges to food security in The Gambia. Yet, it is not clear how smallholder farmers in The Gambia are adapting to climate change and variability. This study explored the extent of climate variability and the adaptation practices of smallholder farmers in the Lower River Region of The Gambia. The study used questionnaire surveys (with 180 households) to assess the perception of smallholder farmers on rainfall and temperature patterns. The study used climate data from 1981 to 2016 and employed the modified Mann-Kendall test to understand the extent of climate variability in the study area. The results showed a significant variability in mean annual rainfall during the last 35 years in the Lower River Region of The Gambia. The perception of study respondents revealed that, erratic rainfall pattern and increased temperature were consistent with the available empirical rainfall and temperature data. In response to these perceived changes, smallholder farmers have initiated a number of on-farm and off-adaptation practices to address the threats of climate variability. The key on-farm adaptation practices include the use of drought tolerant crops varieties, changing planting date, planting of early maturing varieties, irrigation and land fallowing. In terms of off-farm adaptation practices, smallholder farmers were engaging in livelihood diversification, temporary migration, charcoal production and firewood selling. Others were also relying on remittances from friends and families to address the risk associated with climate variability. The study concludes that, smallholder farmers in the study communities were knowledgeable about climate fluctuations, and have adopted appropriate practices to address these changes. The study recommends strengthening the capacity of smallholder farmers through skill acquisition to manage future consequences of climate change and variability.

As a pioneer case of Payment for environmental services (PES), the PES program of Costa Rica has been largely analysed regarding efficiency and equity. However, distinctions between regions and types of land users have not been thoroughly analysed. Based on the results of a survey of 190 beneficiaries of PES program in two regions of the countries (respectively the Huertar norte region in the North and the Osa peninsula in the South), we capture the motivations of land users to join the PES program. Quantitative and qualitative analysis reveal that beyond the limits due to constraint of legal access to PES programs, the motivation to join PES differs according to characteristics, strategy and perceptions of land users. We draw a typology of PES beneficiaries that differs regarding their motivations and use of PES. We shows motivations and use of PES also differ according to regional factors (historical and cultural factors as well as development options) and to types of PES (conserv...

Food, textiles, fuel, and raw materials are produced through agriculture,
all essential for human survival. At the same time as the human population is reaching previously unheard-of heights and continuing to grow, this function must be fulfilled in the current environment of environmental sustainability, climate change, and the continued viability of agricultural activities to provide for both subsistence and livelihoods. Remote sensing has the potential to support the adaptive evolution of agricultural methods to meet this significant challenge by consistently providing data on crop status throughout the growing season at various scales and for multiple actors. Significant improvements in capabilities, particularly the creation of spectral-temporal profile models, can be used for crop identification. As inputs to crop growth and yield models, the same model form can be used to estimate crop development stage, leaf area index, and canopy light interception. We have taken the data from six important crops and compared the spectral pattern and leaf properties to understand the rule and potential of nanoscale remote sensing to identify crop health at the growing stage. Understanding Crop breeding, monitoring agricultural land usage, predicting crop yields, and ecosystem services related to soil and water resources or biodiversity loss is crucial.

Worldwide, there is increasing evidence that shows a decline in pollinators, limiting crop pollination and production. However, it is unclear to what extent Chinese agriculture could be impacted by pollinator deficits. Data for 84 major crops in China between 1961 and 2018 were analyzed for the temporal trends in crop area and production, agricultural economic contribution of pollination, crop yield deficits, and honey bee pollination demand. We found a rapid increase in agricultural dependence on insect pollinators: both the cultivated area and total production of pollinator-dependent crops increased faster than those of pollinator-independent crops during 1961-2018. The total economic value of pollination amounted to US$ 106.08 billion in 2010, representing 19.12% of the total production value of Chinese agriculture, approximately twice the 9.5% value estimated for global agriculture. Crops with higher pollinator dependence showed greater mean growth in cultivated area than those with lower dependence, but lower mean growth of crop production and yield. Crop yield growth was also more unstable with increasing pollinator dependence. The minimum pollination demand for honey bee colonies was about three times the stock of honey bee colonies available in 2018. Furthermore, we found a decline in crop yield deficit with the increase in honey bee colony pollination service capacity. We considered that the shortage of pollinators resulted in the yield deficits for pollinator-dependent crops. Future increase in the area of pollinator-dependent crops will increase the need for more pollinators, suggesting the importance of implementing measures to protect pollinators to ensure a better-secured future for agricultural production in China.

In a changing world, predicting ecosystem functions is essential to ensuring human well-being and survival. However, commonly used trait-based predictive approaches frequently lack predictive power. Statistical and conceptual attempts to better incorporate environmental factors into trait-based predictions have done so by integrating indirect, trait-mediated effects therein. Here, we define ecosystem functions as changes in the state, position, or nature of energy or matter within an ecosystem, and then illustrate how environmental factors can directly affect ecosystem functions. Given that the effects of organismal traits and environmental factors are not necessarily additive, we also propose that interactions between organismal traits and environmental factors (hereafter, trait-environment interactions) have explanatory power. We propose a conceptual framework in which organismal traits, environmental factors, and trait-environment interactions, together with the environment's effects on traits (plasticity) and traits' effects on the environment (ecosystem engineering), can explain ecosystem functions. We conclude by discussing the importance of considering trait-environment interactions and identifying future avenues of exploration.

Outlines the delta's history and current political context, documents recent findings about the delta's partial recovery, and makes recommendations for maintaining existing flows to further benefit and sustain the remnant wetland ecosystems

Climate extremes over the years have been a major concern for the globalized world. The hardest hit from these climate extremes are women farmers with low adaptive capacity. This study explored women farmers' perceived indices of occurrence and severity of observed climate extremes in rural Ghana. Employing the qualitative method approach, eight focus group discussions and 15 interviews were conducted with women farmers under Centre for Alleviation of Poverty, Environment and Child Support GROW Project. The study adopted the thematic analytical approach for the data analysis. The results of the study revealed that the occurrence of drought, flood and bush fires has been an annual phenomenon over the past decade. In terms of severity, women farmers also reported that climate extremes, when they occurred, were very intense, especially drought and bush fires. The results further indicated that rainfall and temperature variations were markedly observed with the prediction of rainfall in particular becoming extremely difficult. Evidently, women farmers observed that climate extremes were caused by deforestation, bush fires and neglect of veneration of ancestral spirits. Importantly, the study found that women have devised their own means of responding to climate extremes to include support networks, savings and spiritual assistance from ancestors for rain when there was prolonged drought. The study recommends the need for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment Science and Technology to forecast and display information on the yearly occurrence and severity of drought, flood and bush fires to complement women's local knowledge in decision making.

Mestrado em Contabilidade - AuditoriaA presente dissertação pretende apresentar uma nova realidade no ambiente empresarial, onde se evidencia um movimento pela ética empresarial e pela responsabilidade social. A poluição, a corrupção, o desemprego e a proteção dos consumidores foram alguns dos temas apontados por esta dissertação para que o debate sobre a responsabilidade social se acentuasse. Sendo assim, esta dissertação procura estudar os problemas ambientais e as soluções para os mesmos, bem como a forma das empresas contribuirem para a satisfação das necessidades dos seus clientes, gerindo simultaneamente as expectativas dos seus trabalhadores, fornecedores e comunidade local. Desta forma contribui-se de uma forma positiva para a sociedade, o que poderá proporcionar vantagens directas para o negócio e assegurar a competitividade a longo prazo. Nesta sequência, foi realizado um estudo sobre a responsabilidade sócio-ambiental nos aviários de produção de aves do Concelho de Sátão ...

Dr. Zamora has ten years of experience working in the Colorado River Delta during which he has developed an integrated analysis and view of the threats and opportunities for conservation and restoration of conservation priority areas. The Sonoran Institute is a not-for-profit organization that inspires and enables community decisions that respect the land and people of the West.

Ecosystem services are vital services that support life and are the basis for human socioeconomic progress. However, changes in land use and land cover (LULC) brought about by urban expansion degrade them. Thus, analysing the impact of land use and land cover (LULC) change on ecosystem service values (ESVs) is crucial for understanding and informing resource policy decisions. This study aims to analyse the impact of land use and land cover changes on ecosystem service values in Mwanza City, Tanzania. To achieve that, the benefits transfer approach was employed to analyse the changes in ESV in response to LULC. We estimated and analysed changes in ESV using satellite image datasets from 1999, 2009, and 2019. The LULC classes that were identified are vegetated land, agricultural land, waterbodies, built-up area, and bareland. The results exhibit that Mwanza City experienced significant LULC changes. While vegetated land, agricultural land, and bareland decreased by 49%, 15%, and 36%, respectively, the built-up area and water bodies increased by 568% and 48%, respectively, during the two decades. The total ESV

School of Business Administration (HEG-GE); The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); United National Environment Programme Economics and Trade Branch (UNEP-ETB) in close collaboration with The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and with the support of Geneva International Academic Network (GIAN) Preface This report is a product of an initiative which is exploring the challenges and opportunities of developing International Payments for Ecosystem Services (IPES), officially launched by IUCN and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in close collaboration with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This study focused specifically on one perceived opportunity for developing IPES, namely the concept of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD). REDD refers to any conservation or sustainable land-use initiative that effectively mitigates a real deforestation/degradation threat in a given area. Considering that close to 25% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation and forest degradation, REDD is currently being considered as a potentially promising climate change mitigation strategy. The main component of this research project is a socio-economic survey of public attitudes and preferences towards REDD (also referred to as avoided deforestation). The survey was carried out as part of a post-graduate course offered by the Geneva School of Business Administration (HEG Geneva), with oversight provided by all of the project partners. The results provided in this report reflect the preliminary findings of a statistical analysis of the information collected through the survey. The report is composed of two main sections. The first one is a literature review by David Huberman, which served as the theoretical foundation for the survey. The second main section is a presentation of the preliminary results obtained through the survey by Anne-Kathrin Faust and Andrea Baranzini. The two questionnaires which were used as part of the survey are attached as an annex.

Ecosystem services are vital services that support life and are the basis for human socio-economic progress. However, changes in land use and land cover (LULC) brought about by urban expansion degrade them. Thus, analysing the impact of land use and land cover (LULC) change on ecosystem service values (ESVs) is crucial for understanding and informing resource policy decisions. This study aims to analyse the impact of land use and land cover changes on ecosystem service values in Mwanza City, Tanzania. To achieve that, the benefits transfer approach was employed to analyse the changes in ESV in response to LULC. We estimated and analysed changes in ESV using satellite image datasets from 1999, 2009, and 2019. The LULC classes that were identified are vegetated land, agricultural land, waterbodies, built-up area, and bareland. The results exhibit that Mwanza City experienced significant LULC changes. While vegetated land, agricultural land, and bareland decreased by 49%, 15%, and 36%, respectively, the built-up area and water bodies increased by 568% and 48%, respectively, during the two decades. The total ESV decreased from 31.35 million US dollars to 26.3 million US dollars between 1999 and 2009 and to 23.96 million US dollars between 2009 and 2019. The waterbodies increased due to the increased

Masters project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Environmental Management degree in the Nicholas School of the Environment and Master of Public Polic y in the Sanford School of Public Polic y of Duke University 2014 Disclaim er: This student pa p er was prepa red in 2014 in partial com pletion of the requirem ents for the Master's Proj ect, a m ajor assignm ent for the Master of Public Policy Program at eh Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke Uni ve rsity. The resea rch, anal ysis, and policy alternative s and recomm endations contained i n this paper a re the work of th e student who authored the docum ent, and do not represent the official or unofficial vie ws of the Sa nfo rd School of public Policy or of Duke University. W ithout the specific perm ission of its author, this paper m ay not be used o r cited for any purposes other than to inform the client orga nization a bout the subj e ct m atter. The author rel ied in m any instances on data provided by the client and related o rg ani zations an d m akes no independent repr esentations as to the accuracy of the data.

Ecosystem services research has led to policies favoring watershed land protection at the federal, state, local, and private levels, notably at drinking water treatment facilities. A few researchers have connected land use and water utilities by estimating surface water treatment costs through raw water sediment load. However, more comprehensive cost-benefit research of private watershed land ownership is absent. In my research, I develop a distributional cash flow model to estimate the magnitude and timing of costs and benefits to a Connecticut private water company, the local community, and to the economy as a whole using Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority data, interviews, regulatory landscape, tax regime, and non-market valuation benefits transfer. The base case model predicts positive NPV to all parties in Connecticut: $3,828,432,329 to the economy from 2010 through 2025, where $1,461,824,087 of that is from benefits to the company and $2,366,608,242 is from bene...

Ecosystem services are vital services that support life and are the basis for human socioeconomic progress. However, changes in land use and land cover (LULC) brought about by urban expansion degrade them. Thus, analysing the impact of land use and land cover (LULC) change on ecosystem service values (ESVs) is crucial for understanding and informing resource policy decisions. This study aims to analyse the impact of land use and land cover changes on ecosystem service values in Mwanza City, Tanzania. To achieve that, the benefits transfer approach was employed to analyse the changes in ESV in response to LULC. We estimated and analysed changes in ESV using satellite image datasets from 1999, 2009, and 2019. The LULC classes that were identified are vegetated land, agricultural land, waterbodies, built-up area, and bareland. The results exhibit that Mwanza City experienced significant LULC changes. While vegetated land, agricultural land, and bareland decreased by 49%, 15%, and 36%, respectively, the built-up area and water bodies increased by 568% and 48%, respectively, during the two decades. The total ESV

Species assemblages often have a non‐random nested organization, which in vertebrate scavenger (carrion‐consuming) assemblages is thought to be driven by facilitation in competitive environments. However, not all scavenger species play the same role in maintaining assemblage structure, as some species are obligate scavengers (i.e., vultures) and others are facultative, scavenging opportunistically. We used a database with 177 vertebrate scavenger species from 53 assemblages in 22 countries across five continents to identify which functional traits of scavenger species are key to maintaining the scavenging network structure. We used network analyses to relate ten traits hypothesized to affect assemblage structure with the “role” of each species in the scavenging assemblage in which it appeared. We characterized the role of a species in terms of both the proportion of monitored carcasses on which that species scavenged, or scavenging breadth (i.e., the species “normalized degree”), an...

Em estudos com fitofisionomias do Bioma Cerrado, as florestas estacionais estiveram entre as formações com maior carência de estudo. Apesar do aumento expressivo de pesquisas nos últimos anos, elas se concentram em estados do sul e sudeste brasileiro; já em boa parte do Cerrado nordestino, ainda há muitas lacunas no conhecimento dos processos ecológicos que as envolvem. Este artigo tem como objetivo suprir parte dessa deficiência ao descrever a estrutura espacial e a dinâmica da cobertura vegetal de duas florestas estacionais. Ao longo da paisagem regional, essas fitofisionomias, em que estão restritas a eixos de drenagem próximos às vertentes dos chapadões dominantes na região. Para a avaliação espaço-estrutural das duas fitofisionomias, foram elaborados diagramas de perfis de vegetação e análise florística, já a dinâmica temporal foi observada através do cálculo do Índice de Área Foliar (LAI) das estações chuvosa e seca usando como referência imagens de satélite. Averiguou-se que as florestas estudadas possuem características estruturais e florísticas diferenciadas, as quais têm papel fundamental na dinâmica temporal percebida pelo LAI, cujos índices são semelhantes na estação chuvosa, distinguindo-se significativamente na estação seca. Este estudo demonstra a importância dessas metodologias na definição de unidades da paisagem. Palavras-chave: florestas estacionais, dinâmica espaçotemporal, semidecídua, decídua, sensoriamento remoto.

Em estudos com fitofisionomias do Bioma Cerrado, as florestas estacionais estiveram entre as formações com maior carência de estudo. Apesar do aumento expressivo de pesquisas nos últimos anos, elas se concentram em estados do sul e sudeste brasileiro; já em boa parte do Cerrado nordestino, ainda há muitas lacunas no conhecimento dos processos ecológicos que as envolvem. Este artigo tem como objetivo suprir parte dessa deficiência ao descrever a estrutura espacial e a dinâmica da cobertura vegetal de duas florestas estacionais. Ao longo da paisagem regional, essas fitofisionomias, em que estão restritas a eixos de drenagem próximos às vertentes dos chapadões dominantes na região. Para a avaliação espaço-estrutural das duas fitofisionomias, foram elaborados diagramas de perfis de vegetação e análise florística, já a dinâmica temporal foi observada através do cálculo do Índice de Área Foliar (LAI) das estações chuvosa e seca usando como referência imagens de satélite. Averiguou-se que as florestas estudadas possuem características estruturais e florísticas diferenciadas, as quais têm papel fundamental na dinâmica temporal percebida pelo LAI, cujos índices são semelhantes na estação chuvosa, distinguindo-se significativamente na estação seca. Este estudo demonstra a importância dessas metodologias na definição de unidades da paisagem. Palavras-chave: florestas estacionais, dinâmica espaçotemporal, semidecídua, decídua, sensoriamento remoto.

This study was undertaken in Kingwal wetland. The objective of the study was to evaluate the estimated economic value of Kingwal wetland. This was meant to help policy makers and conservationists develop effective measures to conserve the wetland especially in preservation of the rare Sitatunga antelopes whose numbers are reported to be decreasing due to the increasing human activities within the wetland. Data was collected in the months of January and February, 2018 from two hundred and forty respondents extracted from people living not more than 3km away from Kingwal wetland through systematic random sampling. Questionnaires, interviews and focused group discussions were used in data collection. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistic test. Results showed that the mean household willingness-to-pay per annum for Kingwal wetland was Ksh. 549,442 (US $5494.42). From the results, direct benefits contribute the highest monetary value (Ksh. 292,010) as compared to i...

Minute 319, a binational agreement between the United States and México, authorized environmental flows into the Colorado River Delta, including a high-profile pulse flow delivered in March through May 2014. Reforming water management policy to secure future delivery of environmental flows to the delta hinges on demonstrating the feasibility of delivering environmental water and documenting positive ecological responses of the delta's severely degraded riparian habitat. The design of the flow's hydrograph, the novel utilization of irrigation infrastructure, the preparation and subsequent maintenance of selected restoration sites, and interdisciplinary monitoring at multiple scales combined to show that ecological restoration is possible, even with extremely small water volumes compared to historical flows. The overwhelmingly positive social responses to the flow are likely as pivotal to future flows as are the biophysical responses. The pulse flow's unique binational character demanded exceptional collaboration and communication involving local, state, and federal government agencies; water managers; water users; scientists; and non-governmental organizations. The success of such a politically, operationally, and scientifically complex endeavor in the severely over-allocated Colorado River Basin bodes well for the future of environmental flows in its delta and in other water-stressed settings, worldwide.

The IMPENSO project deals with the impact of the climate variability ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) on water resource management and the local communities in the Palu River watershed of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The project consists of three interrelated subprojects, which study the local and regional manifestation of ENSO using the Regional Climate Models REMO and GESIMA (Sub-project A), quantify the impact of ENSO on the availability of water for agriculture and other uses, using the distributed hydrological model WaSiM-ETH (Sub-project B), and analyze the socio-economic impact and the policy implications of ENSO on the basis of a production function analysis, a household vulnerability analysis, and a linear programming model (Sub-project C). The models used in the three sub-projects will be integrated to simulate joint scenarios that are defined in collaboration with local stakeholders and are relevant for the design of coping strategies.