Accessibility, vulnerability, and resilience in a stochastic model of sustainable ecotourism

Proactive conservation and restoration of botanical diversity in the Anthropocene's “rambunctious garden”

Problem definition:We consider the problem of inventory allocation of multiple products, across a network of warehouses, faced by a large fashion e-retailer. The objective is to minimize overall shipment costs and to speed up deliveries to customers accounting for inventory constraints on products and capacity constraints of warehouses. Academic / Practical Relevance: Online retailers increasingly face the problem of optimizing inventory allocation for a wide variety of products, across a large network of warehouses. In most practical cases, demand of these products is unknown, and product level inventory available for distribution across the warehouses is very limited. Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, inventory allocation with both capacity and depth constraints has not been previously studied. Methodology: We formulate the inventory allocation problem as a Multi-Product, Multi-Warehouse Newsvendor (MPMWN) problem that balances overage and underage costs across products and warehouses. We then use Lagrangian duality to propose an efficient allocation algorithm (Optimal Distribution Algorithm (ODA)). ODA breaks the central MPMWN problem into two subproblems with either depth or capacity constraints. We show that these subproblems can be efficiently solved using binary search, due to the separability of the objective function and monotonicity of the constraints with respect to the dual variables. Results: Analytically, we show that the inventory allocation from the proposed algorithm converges to the optimal solution of the MPMWN problem. Furthermore, we analyze the rate of convergence of the algorithm to show fast convergence. Numerically, in collaboration with a large fashion retailer, we perform a large-scale real data study to show that the proposed algorithm, combined with a state-of-the-art demand prediction method can reduce inventory costs by as much as 7% and increase In-Class-Fulfillment (ICF) up to 10%. This improvement is also robust to changes in the demand distribution and the overage to underage cost ratio. Hence, the proposed method leads to considerable cost reduction and service improvement, both very important for the retailer. Managerial Implications: E-Retailers increasingly face the task of managing a very wide variety of products across a large network. Adding both capacity and depth constraints to the classical newsvendor problem poses computational challenges that make the current inventory optimization methods either impractical or inapplicable. We solve this problem by proposing an efficient and practical algorithm that combines transaction data for efficient inventory allocation.

Investigating spatio-temporal trends in soil vulnerability to degradation based on the diachronic analysis of selected biophysical and socioeconomic drivers is a key issue for the identification of prone areas. The working hypothesis of the present study is that a given territorial system may undergo different (and sometimes contrasting) patterns of soil vulnerability (improvement, worsening or stability) in the long term, thus creating (or amplifying) spatial heterogeneity in land resource distribution. Areas classified as “critical” are regarded as soil vulnerability hotspots that require dedicated mitigation policies. The correct identification of “critical” areas to soil degradation is particularly important for the natural areas and, more generally, for the agro-forest systems preserved under various land protection regimes. Based on these premises, the objectives of this study are (i) to assess the spatial distribution of soil vulnerability in Italy over a long enough time interval (1990–2010), (ii) to provide an operational tool to identify soil degradation hotspots according to the observed vulnerability trend and, finally, (iii) to analyze hotspot spatial distribution in relation with natural protected areas and the Natura2000 network. The results of this study provide a useful tool for environmental monitoring and are discussed in the light of sustainable agro-forest management and preservation of natural areas.

Can mountain bike-induced erosion be a major concern in natural areas? Evidence from high-resolution topography.

Nature is declining globally at unprecedented rates with adverse consequences for both ecological and human systems. This paper argues that only transformative change—a fundamental, system-wide reorganization—will be sufficient to arrest and reverse this loss and to meet globally agreed development goals, including the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. In search for a credible platform to help facilitate such transformative change, this paper explores the potential of multifunctional ‘scape approaches to improve sustainable management outcomes at scale. Beyond a current international focus on nature restoration, this paper emphasizes the urgency and criticality of confirming approaches for sustainably preserving large ‘intact’ natural areas. Through a semi-systematic review of contemporary academic and gray literature and derivation of a theory of change, the authors consider tropical peatland systems—which can interconnect multiple ecosystem types and be of global biodiversity and carbon sequestration significance—to help derive potentially broader sustainable ecosystem management lessons. Beyond identifying key considerations for implementing multifunctional ‘scape approaches, the paper recommends further work to deepen understanding of the multidimensional ‘value’ of nature; strengthen governance frameworks; empower indigenous peoples and their knowledge sharing and community management; align nature-positive and climate-positive goals; andmobilize commensurate business and financial support.

The Forest Farmer Group (KTH) of honey bees plays a strategic role in supporting the economic development of rural communities while contributing to natural resource conservation and environmental preservation in Tabanan Regency, Bali Province. This dual role highlights the importance of KTH in community-based sustainable forest management. This study aims to evaluate the performance and sustainability level of the honey bee KTH across three key management aspects: Institutional Management, Area Management, and Business Management. Primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with key informants and focused group discussions (FGD) involving principal stakeholders engaged in forestry and beekeeping activities. Secondary data were obtained through literature reviews and various official publications. The analysis results indicate an overall sustainability score of 40.8, categorized as moderate sustainable. Specifically, the Institutional Management aspect scored 59.22 (moderate sustainable), while Area Management and Business Management scored 36.18 and 27, respectively, both classified as low sustainable. These findings suggest the need for targeted improvements, particularly in area and business management, to enhance overall sustainability.

The evaluation of management in peri-urban agricultural and natural areas (PANAs) constitutes a complex topic, particularly when considering its scale in cities where landscape planning is a priority. Therefore, indicators are required to assess the non-material well-being, biodiversity, and quality of life of society, which are criteria of cultural ecosystem services (CESs). This research develops identification and subclassification CESs and tangible and intangible indicators that facilitate the management of the PANA landscape, using the city of Arequipa as a case study—a dynamic cultural city with a declared cultural heritage, in turn located in an artificial oasis in the Atacama Desert. Therefore, the results will enable the selection of indicators that are practically applicable to planning instruments, serving as support systems for decision-making regarding interventions in PANAs. The methodology began with a systematic and meta-analytic (PRISMA) review, identifying 25 articles containing 230 indicators across 19 subclassifications. Using the Multiscale Indicators Framework (MSIF), the literature was integrated with a participatory workshop to validate these findings. The level of impact was assessed for 115 indicators across 13 subclassifications, applying criteria such as diversity, sustainable management, quality of life, and scalability—factors necessary to comply with urban sustainability policies.

The paper discusses the problem associated with the use of modern information technologies that take into account extended reality and the lean management culture to achieve sustainable development by enterprises, which is part of the field of management science. The subject is important and current due to the strong social need for the implementation of the concept of sustainable development. The aim of the article is to learn about and evaluate augmented reality and lean culture in the area of sustainable development management of enterprises. The concept of sustainable development is an approach that arouses great interest among management theoreticians, but many practitioners still do not know how to effectively realize it in changing conditions. Therefore, the paper proposes the application and the use of augmented reality and lean culture assumptions in the area of sustainable development management of enterprises. In the research, the authors emphasize that the sustainable approach to enterprise management should take into account the assessment of augmented reality (AR) and instruments of lean culture in the area of management since better understanding of the coexistence of benefits, compromises, opportunities and threats related to modern technologies allows for more efficient implementation of sustainable development management in enterprises. The paper has been divided into four parts. The first part presents the concept of sustainable development in the light of the literature research. The second part shows the essence of augmented reality as a modern information technology. The third part of the paper is devoted to the presentation of the concept of lean management in enterprises. The fourth part of the paper is the case study, in which the DHL enterprise report is related to, where the applied and utilized augmented reality and lean culture in shaping sustainable development are presented. The methods used to achieve the goal are: Literature studies, descriptive analysis and case study. The whole discussion is closed with the summary, which shows that the scope of application of augmented reality and lean culture in the area of sustainable development management of enterprises is unlimited.

Probabilistic Tabu Search for the Cross-Docking Assignment Problem

An application of recreation resource assessment techniques to inform management action in an urban-proximate natural area

A linear positive relationship between tree species diversity and forest productivity across forest-dominated natural reserves on a large spatial scale

Functioning as a flood regulator and a freshwater reservoir, the Prut River Headwaters Wetland, protected under the Ramsar Convention, is a crucial hub of biodiversity, including endemic, rare, and threatened species listed in the national and global Red Lists. There are gaps regarding site management issues, including a lack of an integrated wetland monitoring system. Therefore, the objective of this research was to organise the processes involved in the comprehensive planning of wetland monitoring. To achieve this, the study utilised the conceptual framework for monitoring developed by the expert group of the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Management of Conservation Areas. By employing the method of information-analytical research, a model for the water monitoring programme focused on the Prut River Headwaters Wetland was developed. A combination of physicochemical and hydrobiological assessments has been designed and partly tested. The method was used to test the universality of the proposed methodology in a specific studied area that requires sustainable management, and for the purpose of studying the perspective of application to other wetlands or valuable natural complexes in nature conservation areas. For the Conceptual Phase of the monitoring programme development, the key elements of river basin management of the Water Framework Directive of the European Union were used in synergy with the provisions of the Ramsar Convention. During the Implementation Phase, field and laboratory investigations of water bodies within the testing site at seven control points were conducted (measuring physicochemical parameters with portable equipment). All parameters’ values were within the limits of permissible norms. A primary database of results stored in the SMART software has been created. The practical implementation of the water monitoring plan is anticipated to contribute to the evaluation of the wetland ecosystem’s condition and support the administration of the Carpathian National Nature Park in the sustainable management of the wetland area

In the traveling salesman problem with pickup, delivery, and ride-time constraints (TSPPD-RT), a vehicle located at a depot is required to service a number of requests where the requests are known before the route is formed. Each request consists of (i) a pickup location (origin), (ii) a delivery location (destination), and (iii) a maximum allowable travel time from the origin to the destination (maximum ride-time). The problem is to design a tour for the vehicle that (i) starts and ends at the depot, (ii) services all requests, (iii) ensures that each request's ride-time does not exceed its maximum ride-time, and (iv) minimizes the total travel time required by the vehicle to service all requests (objective function). A capacity constraint that may be present is that the weight or volume of the undelivered requests on the vehicle must always be no greater than the vehicle's capacity. In this article, we concurrently analyze the TSPPD-RT with capacity constraints and without capacity constraints. We describe two mathematical formulations of the problem. These formulations are used to derive new lower bounds on the solution to the problem. Then, we provide two exact methods for finding the optimal route that minimizes the total travel cost. Our extensive computational analysis on both versions of the TSPPD-RT shows that the proposed algorithms are capable of solving to optimality instances involving up to 50 requests

ABSTRACTThis paper describes a connected-vehicle-based system architecture which can provide more precise and comprehensive information on bus movements and passenger status. Then a dynamic control method is proposed using connected vehicle data. Traditionally, the bus bunching problem has been formulated into one of two types of optimization problem. The first uses total passenger time cost as the objective function and capacity, safe headway, and other factors as constraints. Due to the large number of scenarios considered, this type of framework is inefficient for real-time implementation. The other type uses headway adherence as the objective and applies a feedback control framework to minimize headway variations. Due to the simplicity in the formulation and solution algorithms, the headway-based models are more suitable for real-time transit operations. However, the headway-based feedback control framework proposed in the literature still assumes homogeneous conditions at all bus stations, and does not consider restricting passenger loads within the capacity constraints. In this paper, a dynamic control framework is proposed to improve not only headway adherence but also maintain the stability of passenger load within bus capacity in both homogenous and heterogeneous situations at bus stations. The study provides the stability conditions for optimal control with heterogeneous bus conditions and derives optimal control strategies to minimize passenger transit cost while maintaining vehicle loading within capacity constraints. The proposed model is validated with a numerical analysis and case study based on field data collected in Chengdu, China. The results show that the proposed model performs well on high-demand bus routes.

In many industrial sectors, decision makers are faced with large and complex problems that are often multi-objective. Many of these problems may be expressed as a combinatorial optimization problem in which we define one or more objective functions that we are trying to optimize. Thus, the car sequencing problem in an assembly line is a well known combinatorial optimization problem that cars manufacturers face. This problem involves scheduling cars along an assembly line composed of three consecutive shops: body welding and construction, painting and assembly. In the literature, this problem is most often treated as a single objective problem and only the capacity constraints of the assembly shop are considered (Dincbas et al., 1988). In this workshop, each car is characterized by a set of different options and the workstations where each option is installed are designed to handle a certain percentage of cars requiring the same options. To smooth the workload at the critical assembly workstations, cars requiring high work content must be dispersed throughout the production sequence. Industrial car sequencing formulation subdivides the capacity constraints into two categories, that are the capacity constraints linked to the highpriority options and the capacity constraints linked to the low-priority options. However, the reality of industrial production does not only take into account the assembly shop requirements. The industrial formulation proposed by French automobile manufacturer Renault, in the context of the ROADEF 2005 Challenge, also takes into account the paint shop requirements. In this workshop, the minimization of the amount of solvent used to purge the painting nozzles for colour changeovers, or when a known maximum number of vehicle bodies of the same colour have been painted, is an important objective to consider. Indeed, long sequences of cars of the same colour tend to render visual quality controls inaccurate. To ensure this quality control, the number of cars of the same colour must not exceed an upper limit. The industrial car sequencing problem (ICSP) is thus a multi-objective problem in nature, with three conflicting objectives to minimize. In the assembly shop, one tries to minimize the number of violations of capacity constraints related to high-priority options (HPO) and to low-priority options (LPO). In the paint shop, one tries to minimize the number of colour changes (COLOUR). In the 2005 ROADEF Challenge, the Renault automobile manufacturer proposes to tackle the problem by treating the three objectives lexicographically. O pe n A cc es s D at ab as e w w w .ite ch on lin e. co m