Natural Resource Management Challenges Research Articles

The Legislative Background of the Application of Fermentation Residues to Agricultural Lands in Hungary

The broad presence of biogas plants – facilities using organic wastes and by-products to generate energy – now seems to warrant urgent attention to the land application of by-products (fermentation residues) from biogas plants. In Hungary, this activity can be carried out under statutory conditions, subject to official licensing. The protection provided by law is necessary because an adaptable and sustainable agriculture based on effects and interactions also requires such attention, since the most important natural resource of agriculture is soil, which, by nature, is a conditionally renewable natural resource [1] [2]. Protection of soil means primarily protection of quality: sustainable and adaptable agriculture contributes to retain the ecological functions of soil and its role in the ecosystem [3]. This publication analyses the possibilities and challenges of natural resource management by studying the agricultural use of fermentation residues from biogas plants. In order to be used in agriculture, fermentation residue should be classified according to its character and nutritional value, namely as harmless waste from non-agricultural sources. This substance may have the properties of slurry, and in certain cases it may be classified as a substance with characteristics of waste water/sewage sludge or sewage sludge compost.
 Main elements of the preparation of the soil protection plan: detailed laboratory tests of the fermentation residue according to standards and regulations; classification of the fermentation residue on the basis of the measured parameters and the field tests corresponding to the character of fermentation residue according to the relevant legislation. Soil protection plan is prepared by expert based on on-site investigation and laboratory reports. This is the basis of the licensing process.
 Land application of fermentation residues therefore requires expert analysis to ensure that the ecological functions of soil are not damaged. This, however, requires that the regulations governing the framework for the conditions of such application are carefully studied and interpreted.

Are ecosystem service hotspots located in protected areas? Results from a study in Southern Italy

Ecosystems are essential in providing multiple services to society. However, understanding ecosystem services (ESS) in terms of spatial distribution and trade-offs still remains a challenge for landscape planners and natural resource managers. In this paper, we analyzed the supply of a set of ESS – carbon storage, soil erosion protection, biodiversity, and recreation – within the landscape surrounding the city of Bari in Southern Italy. Through an analysis of this landscape, which includes natural protected areas, such as Natura 2000 Network sites, national and regional parks and nature reserves, and in view of the recent Fitness Check of the Nature Directives, we aimed to provide answers to the following questions: (i) Where are the areas of high and low supply of individual ecosystem services located?; (ii) Where do ecosystem service trade-offs (i.e., ‘hotspots’ and ‘coldspots’) occur?; and (iii) To what extent are ecosystem service hotspots and coldspots located within or outside of natural protected areas? Results show that most of the landscape in the study area supplied at least one of the selected ESS and that ESS hotspots were mostly located within forested and/or natural areas. Hotspots occupied 8.0% of the total landscape, with 23.7% located in natural protected areas. Coldspots were scarce and equal to 2.4%; they constituted only 0.1% of natural protected areas. Almost all of the landscape (89.6%) consists of intermediate areas (i.e., between hotspots and coldspots); 76.2% of natural protected areas consists of intermediate areas. This latter finding is relevant because the high intermediate classes are potentially high-performing areas, which lie mainly on the borders of protected spaces; they can positively influence ecological processes and thus enhance a wide-ranging provision of ESS. Our results highlight the importance of analyzing landscapes to facilitate the selection of priority areas where management efforts would yield maximum benefits.

Targeted Grazing Impacts on Invasive and Native Plant Abundance Change with Grazing Duration and Stocking Density

The science underpinning targeted grazing has been advancing for decades, supporting a major paradigm shift concerning the role of grazing in addressing critical natural resource management challenges across the globe. A next step for expanding adoption is to understand how conservation benefits derived from this practice may change depending on how the components of a targeted grazing strategy change. Using two studies on California annual rangeland, one with heifers and one with ewes, we evaluated how two stocking attributes that underpin a targeted grazing plan, animal density and grazing duration, influence the ability of livestock to reduce the abundance of the invasive annual grass medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae [L.] Nevski) and increase the abundance of native plants. Across studies, conservation benefits tended to be higher (lower invasive plant abundance and greater native plant abundance) under higher stocking density and shorter stocking duration, but we also found evidence that stocking density could be relaxed in some situations, allowing some conservation benefits to be achieved by grazing fewer animals over a longer duration. For California annual rangelands where most vegetation growth occurs over a period of a few short weeks, the potential to achieve similar conservation benefits by extending grazing duration and using fewer animals represents a major opportunity to apply targeted grazing over larger areas in one season with a set number of grazing animals. These initial findings provide justification for more extensive research in how changes in targeted grazing strategies may alter conservation benefits from grazing. Such insight is essential for understanding the range of cost-benefit trade-offs that may occur with this practice.

Factors Influencing Trust in a Wildlife Management Agency: A Case Study of Deer Management in Bloomington, Indiana

Overpopulation of white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) is an increasingly common challenge for natural resource managers, especially in the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Midwest regions of the United States. Despite the pervasiveness of the issue, satisfactory resolution remains elusive for many parks, communities, and natural areas. Frequently, social concerns and ecological conditions deteriorate to the point where lethal management techniques are recommended to reduce numbers quickly. However, implementing lethal management strategies to reduce overabundant white-tailed deer populations frequently engenders contentious debate, in part because trust in the managing agency is often low. In such cases, implementation challenges shift from managing deer to affecting and managing public opinion. The purpose of this case study was to examine factors that influence trust in the City of Bloomington (IN) government to properly manage the deer population at a city-owned nature preserve. Results indicated that positive evaluation of the decision-making process and positive evaluation of the science that informed decisions predicted trust in the local city government, while age and preference for hunting predicted distrust. Support for the proposed sharpshooting policy and citizen involvement in the issue, measured by the number of personal and civic actions taken, were not significant predictors of trust in the city. Citizens’ source of information on the issue influenced their evaluation of the science. Specifically, when the local newspaper was the primary source of information, respondents were more likely to agree with the conclusions of a scientific study city managers used to illustrate the deer overpopulation. We recommend natural resource managers identify and use trusted communicators to engage with the public on controversial policies. Trust should be considered a prerequisite to implementation of new policies, controversial or otherwise. Subscribe to JPRA

Assessing public participation tools during wind energy siting

Wind energy development brings a new set of natural resource management challenges to land managers and policy-makers. This paper assesses the use of so-called community liaison committees as a public participation mechanism to reduce social friction during wind energy development in Ontario, Canada. Establishing these committees has become a condition of regulatory approval for wind projects, but little is known about the scope, purpose, composition and effectiveness of these committees. This paper finds that the committees are marginally effective, but they are limited by the tight control exerted by project proponents on representation and scope of the committee. None of the theoretical benefits expected from public participation in terms of improved decision-making or increased democratic capacity appear to be achieved by the community committees. The paper offers contributions to the environmental study literature in two areas: improved understanding of the mechanisms of renewable energy governance and a multi-case study critique of a public participation tool used in environmental and land use decision-making processes.

Urban Fringe Bushwalking: Eroding the Experience

ABSTRACTUrban fringe areas are vital resources for urbanized populations, but are under pressure to meet demand for a variety of land uses, including recreation. Bushwalking is a form of nature-based recreation experience founded on antiauthoritarianism, egalitarianism, and immersion in the Australian bush. An online and telephone survey gathered perceptions of bushwalking club members regarding their experiences on the urban fringe in Western Australia. Results reveal perceptions that the bushwalking experience is being eroded due to confinement into “tame” settings. Respondents perceived themselves as custodians of nature subject to inconsistent, unfair management treatment, fueling an existing bushwalker suspicion of authority. The article poses a challenge for urban fringe natural resource managers to harness the potential of bushwalking club members by overcoming negative perceptions and sharing common goals. The implication is that certain types of recreation could represent a natural resource management asset, rather than a threat to be managed.

Environmental Systems Simulations for Carbon, Energy, Nitrogen, Water, and Watersheds: Design Principles and Pilot Testing

ABSTRACTGuided by the Next Generation Science Standards and elements of problem-based learning, four human–environment systems simulations are described in brief—carbon, energy, water, and watershed—and a fifth simulation on nitrogen is described in more depth. These science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education simulations illustrate design principles that make them engaging to students, such as dynamic visual environments that are controlled by the user and immediate visual feedback to user actions taken. The simulations are contextualized in real-world natural resources management challenges involving biogeochemical cycles, such as Gulf of Mexico hypoxia, which provide an opportunity to “win the game,” while the introduction of complexity in steps provides scaffolding. Pretest versus posttest results indicate a substantial and statistically significant improvement in learning outcomes resulting from using the nitrogen simulation, though there was no comparable pedagogical control group. Attitudinal feedback indicates rich student engagement with the nitrogen simulation.

Forging new models of natural resource governance

Effective solutions to today's most pressing natural resource management challenges demand working across jurisdictional and sectoral boundaries, which requires a networked system of governance. The 21st century has seen a dramatic shift in technology and social norms that have fundamentally changed the way we coordinate and make decisions at individual, organizational, and societal levels. The term “network society” has been applied to this mode of organization. Through networks, people leverage informal relationships to exchange ideas, build rapport, identify common interests, work together, share power, and solve problems of mutual interest. Network governance emerges when people realize that they (and the organizations they represent) cannot solve a particular problem by acting independently and that their interests may be better served through collaboration, drawing on their diverse capabilities. At large landscape scales, networks facilitate and shape governance of economic, socio-cultural, and ecological processes and activities. Large landscape conservation spans boundaries and land uses – including working lands, urban areas, and wildlands – to encompass whole landscapes. Networks of people and organizations within these landscapes unite to focus collective attention and effort on areas of recognized conservation value as well as on specific conservation priorities or threats. The vast scale of these initiatives often necessitates a broad-based, multi-jurisdictional, multi-sectoral, and multi-purpose (economic, social, and environmental) approach. Individuals and organizations must work across boundaries and agencies to devise networked governance structures that encompass the necessary authorities and geographic scale to achieve linked economic, social, and environmental objectives. This Special Issue explores the application of network governance to large landscape conservation. The articles detail challenges and opportunities with this approach. We offer the following recommendations for practitioners, policy makers, and scholars: (1) focus, refine, and expand the concept of governance to inform analysis of social–ecological systems; (2) cultivate network leaders who create opportunities for transformative collaboration around shared problems; (3) reflect on the nature of network successes and strategies for evaluating outcomes; (4) understand governance processes and practices at multiple scales and their mechanisms for engaging communities and other stakeholders in multi-level decision making; and (5) recognize that networks are susceptible to the differences in power, influence, and resources among network participants, and plan and act accordingly. Addressing environmental problems at the large landscape scale is more than a scientific or technical challenge, and it's more than simply managing natural resources more effectively and efficiently. At its core, such problem solving is fundamentally about integrating diverse needs, interests, visions, and cultures. Such integration – to promote vibrant economies, livable communities, and healthy landscapes – often springs from creating opportunities for interested and affected people to come together with the best available information to focus on issues of common concern. Recognizing the need to support and connect initiatives that work at scales large enough to advance systemic and integrated approaches to resource management, the Practitioners' Network for Large Landscape Conservation (www.largelandscapenetwork.org) formed in 2011. The Network's mission is to build capacity across scales and sectors and to improve policy frameworks that promote and support large landscape conservation. Embracing the tenets of the network society, the Network allows individuals and organizations to come and go, depending on their needs and interests; it is adaptive and provides a platform to share information and lessons learned and collectively advance the theory, practice, and performance of large landscape conservation. We have learned that there is no one-size-fits-all model for addressing environmental problems, and we encourage practitioners to match the processes of governance to the particular issue or opportunity at hand. We invite scholars to build partnerships with those involved in such initiatives and to engage in research, teaching, and public outreach efforts that advance participatory models of governance at relevant scales. This large landscape conservation approach – whether initiated by a federal or international agency, a non-governmental organization like The Nature Conservancy, or a university – requires increasingly networked modes of organization and collaboration to build durable, systemic, and sustainable solutions. As we write this, new models of natural resource governance are being forged across hundreds of landscapes in North America and elsewhere in the world. This Special Issue identifies important theories, concepts, strategies, and practices that can help those efforts move forward and will help everyone interested in large landscape conservation to reach deeper insights into the actions and motivations that are shaping landscape-scale natural resource management.

Comparative analysis of forest lands cadastral appraisal estimated with regards to wood and food resources

Cadastral appraisal of forest fund is one of the topical challenges of modern natural resource management. The paper delivers comparison of different approaches to cadastral appraisal of forest lands. The authors suggest a uniformed model to compare objectively and choose the most effective use of parcels.

The need to disentangle key concepts from ecosystem-approach jargon.

The ecosystem approach—as endorsed by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB) in 2000—is a strategy for holistic, sustainable, and equitable natural resource management, to be implemented via the 12 Malawi Principles. These principles describe the need to manage nature in terms of dynamic ecosystems, while fully engaging with local peoples. It is an ambitious concept. Today, the term is common throughout the research and policy literature on environmental management. However, multiple meanings have been attached to the term, resulting in confusion. We reviewed references to the ecosystem approach from 1957 to 2012 and identified 3 primary uses: as an alternative to ecosystem management or ecosystem-based management; in reference to an integrated and equitable approach to resource management as per the CBD; and as a term signifying a focus on understanding and valuing ecosystem services. Although uses of this term and its variants may overlap in meaning, typically, they do not entirely reflect the ethos of the ecosystem approach as defined by the CBD. For example, there is presently an increasing emphasis on ecosystem services, but focusing on these alone does not promote decentralization of management or use of all forms of knowledge, both of which are integral to the CBD’s concept. We highlight that the Malawi Principles are at risk of being forgotten. To better understand these principles, more effort to implement them is required. Such efforts should be evaluated, ideally with comparative approaches, before allowing the CBD’s concept of holistic and socially engaged management to be abandoned or superseded. It is possible that attempts to implement all 12 principles together will face many challenges, but they may also offer a unique way to promote holistic and equitable governance of natural resources. Therefore, we believe that the CBD’s concept of the ecosystem approach demands more attention.La Necesidad de Desenredar Conceptos Clave del Argot Ambiente-EstrategiaResumenLa estrategia ambiental – como es promocionada por la Convención Biológica sobre Diversidad en 2000 – es una estrategia para un manejo holístico, sustentable y equitativo de recursos naturales, que habrá de implementarse por vía de los 12 Principios de Malawi. Estos principios describen la necesidad de manejar la naturaleza en términos de ecosistemas dinámicos, mientras se compromete totalmente con las personas locales. Es un concepto ambicioso. Hoy en día, el término es común en la investigación y la literatura de políticas sobre el manejo ambiente. Sin embargo, se han relacionado múltiples significados con el término, lo que resulta en confusión. Revisamos referencias a la estrategia ambiental de 1957 a 2012 e identificamos tres usos principales: como una alternativa para manejo ambiental o basado en ecosistemas; en referencia a una estrategia integrada y equitativa para el manejo de recursos según la CBD; y como un término que indica un enfoque en el entendimiento y la valuación de los servicios ambientales. Aunque los usos de este término y sus variantes pueden traslaparse en su significado, típicamente no reflejan en su totalidad los valores de la estrategia ambiental como fue definida por la CBD. Por ejemplo, actualmente hay un énfasis creciente en los servicios ambientales, pero enfocarse solamente en estos no promueve la descentralización del manejo o el uso de todas las formas de conocimiento, siendo ambas integrales para el concepto de la CBD. Resaltamos que los Principios de Malawi están en riesgo de ser olvidados. Para entender mejor estos principios, se requiere de más esfuerzo para implementarlos. Dichos esfuerzos deben ser evaluados, idóneamente con estrategias comparativas, antes de permitir que el concepto de la CBD de manejo holístico y comprometido socialmente sea abandonado o reemplazado. Es posible que los intentos por implementar los 12 principios juntos enfrentarán muchos obstáculos, pero también pueden ofrecer una forma única de promover el gobierno holístico y equitativo de los recursos naturales. Así, creemos que el concepto de estrategia ambiental de la CBD exige mayor atención.

Assessing Effects of Variation in Global Climate Data Sets on Spatial Predictions from Climate Envelope Models

Abstract Climate change poses new challenges for natural resource managers. Predictive modeling of species–environment relationships using climate envelope models can enhance our understanding of climate change effects on biodiversity, assist in assessment of invasion risk by exotic organisms, and inform life-history understanding of individual species. While increasing interest has focused on the role of uncertainty in future conditions on model predictions, models also may be sensitive to the initial conditions on which they are trained. Although climate envelope models are usually trained using data on contemporary climate, we lack systematic comparisons of model performance and predictions across alternative climate data sets available for model training. Here, we seek to fill that gap by comparing variability in predictions between two contemporary climate data sets to variability in spatial predictions among three alternative projections of future climate. Overall, correlations between monthly temperature and precipitation variables were very high for both contemporary and future data. Model performance varied across algorithms, but not between two alternative contemporary climate data sets. Spatial predictions varied more among alternative general-circulation models describing future climate conditions than between contemporary climate data sets. However, we did find that climate envelope models with low Cohen's kappa scores made more discrepant spatial predictions between climate data sets for the contemporary period than did models with high Cohen's kappa scores. We suggest conservation planners evaluate multiple performance metrics and be aware of the importance of differences in initial conditions for spatial predictions from climate envelope models.

Research Articles: Case Study: Collaborative Governance as a Tool for Natural Resource Management in China and the United States

This case study considers the applicability of collaborative governance to natural resource management challenges in China, particularly when compared with its use in the United States (US). The specific case in point centers on a June 2012 workshop in Beijing co-organized by the China Environmental Law Project of the Beijing Representative Office of the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Beijing Zhonglin Union Forestry Consulting Company, Ltd. The case study is based on participant observation, literature review, and policy analysis. The critical distinction between the applicability of collaborative governance in China and in the US relates to the incentives to collaborate, which differ in China and in the US. The authors suggest eight possible next steps encompassing research, practice, and education.

Impacts and management of invasive cool-season grasses in the Northern Great Plains: Challenges and opportunities for wildlife

Grasslands of the Northern Great Plains of North America are in the midst of extensive human-driven loss and redistribution of important species. Invasive plants contribute to degradation of this ecosystem and present monumental challenges for natural resource managers. Widespread decreases in populations of grassland-dependent wildlife, particularly birds, have been documented, but relatively little research has been focused on direct responses of wildlife to invading plants relative to native vegetation. Smooth brome (Bromus inermis) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) are 2 invasive cool-season grass species found across much of the Northern Great Plains that continue to expand despite management actions intended to reduce them. With eradication unlikely, creativity, cooperation, and science-based management (e.g., Adaptive Management) are paramount to protect and restore the integrity of grassland habitats across the Northern Great Plains. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Barriers and Opportunities for Integrating Social Science into Natural Resource Management: Lessons from National Estuarine Research Reserves

The need for cross-disciplinary scientific inquiries that facilitate improved natural resource management outcomes through increased understanding of both the biophysical and human dimensions of management issues has been widely recognized. Despite this broad recognition, a number of obstacles and barriers still sometimes challenge the successful implementation of cross-disciplinary approaches. Improving understanding of these challenges and barriers will help address them and thereby foster appropriate and effective utilization of cross-disciplinary approaches to solve natural resource management challenges. This research uses a case study analysis of the United States National Estuarine Research Reserve System to improve understanding of the critical factors that influence practitioners' decisions related to incorporating social science into their natural resource management work. The case study research is analyzed and evaluated within a Theory of Planned Behavior framework to (1) determine and describe the factors that predict practitioners' intent to incorporate social science into their natural resource related activities and (2) recommend potential strategies for encouraging and enabling cross-disciplinary approaches to natural resource management. The results indicate that National Estuarine Research Reserve practitioners' decisions related to incorporating social science are primarily influenced by (1) confidence in their own capability to incorporate social science into their work and (2) beliefs about whether the outcomes of incorporating social science into their work would be valuable or beneficial.

Anthropogenic influences on the spatial genetic structure of black bears

Anthropogenic influences such as hunting pressure and habitat fragmentation can alter the demographic and spatial patterns of wildlife populations. Understanding the consequences of these impacts is a challenge for natural resource managers, which can be overcome by investigations using spatial genetic techniques. We used spatial autocorrelation and landscape genetic analyses to compare the impacts of anthropogenic forces on the spatial genetic structure of two female black bear (Ursus americanus) populations in northern New Hampshire with similar bear densities but varying human densities, hunting pressure and sex ratios. We found evidence of an impact of hunting mortality on the spatial genetic structure of female black bears. The population with greater hunting pressure and a heavily male-biased sex ratio (Milan) exhibited greater spatial genetic structure represented by a pattern of isolation by distance, kin clustering, and reduced dispersal in comparison to the population with a balanced sex ratio (Pittsburg). We did not find a strong effect of fragmenting landscape features on female spatial structure. Major roads were correlated with spatial genetic structure, but only in the population with lower human density and development (Pittsburg). Slope and elevation were also correlated with spatial genetic structure, suggesting terrain plays a role in structuring seasonal female home range boundaries. Our study revealed the utility of using spatial genetic techniques to identify anthropogenic influences on female social organization. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring the impacts of harvest pressure not only on demographics but also the spatial genetic structure of animal populations.

Pathology and failure in the design and implementation of adaptive management

The conceptual underpinnings for adaptive management are simple; there will always be inherent uncertainty and unpredictability in the dynamics and behavior of complex ecological systems as a result non-linear interactions among components and emergence, yet management decisions must still be made. The strength of adaptive management is in the recognition and confrontation of such uncertainty. Rather than ignore uncertainty, or use it to preclude management actions, adaptive management can foster resilience and flexibility to cope with an uncertain future, and develop safe to fail management approaches that acknowledge inevitable changes and surprises. Since its initial introduction, adaptive management has been hailed as a solution to endless trial and error approaches to complex natural resource management challenges. However, its implementation has failed more often than not. It does not produce easy answers, and it is appropriate in only a subset of natural resource management problems. Clearly adaptive management has great potential when applied appropriately. Just as clearly adaptive management has seemingly failed to live up to its high expectations. Why? We outline nine pathologies and challenges that can lead to failure in adaptive management programs. We focus on general sources of failures in adaptive management, so that others can avoid these pitfalls in the future. Adaptive management can be a powerful and beneficial tool when applied correctly to appropriate management problems; the challenge is to keep the concept of adaptive management from being hijacked for inappropriate use.

“Hybrid institutions”: Applications of common property theory beyond discrete tenure regimes

Property rights theory has contributed a great deal to global understanding of the factors shaping the management, governance and sustainability of discrete property regimes (individual, State, commons). Yet as the commons become increasingly altered and enclosed and management challenges extend beyond the boundaries of any given unit of property, institutional theory must extend beyond discrete property regimes. This paper argues that as natural resource management challenges grow more complex and interconnected, common property theory in the Ostrom tradition remains an essential component of successful management solutions – for common pool resources, public and private goods alike. Building on the commons and externality literature in general, and the Ostrom and Coasean traditions in particular, we propose the use of the term “hybrid institution” to explore the governance of common or connected interests within and between diverse property regimes. Following a general introduction to a set of propositions for encompassing this expanded realm of application of commons theory, we use the literature on integrated natural resource management to frame the scope of “commons” issues facing rural communities today. Empirical and action research from eastern Africa and logical arguments are each used to illustrate and sharpen the focus of our propositions so that they can be tested and refined in future research. This analysis demonstrates the instrumental potential of the concept of hybrid institutions as a framework for shaping more productive engagements with seemingly intractable natural resource management challenges at farm and landscape scale. Our analysis suggests that central elements of the Ostrom and Coasean traditions can be complementary explanatory lenses for contemporary resource conflict and management.

“Hybrid institutions”: Applications of common property theory beyond discrete tenure regimes

Property rights theory has contributed a great deal to global understanding of the factors shaping the management, governance and sustainability of discrete property regimes (individual, State, commons). Yet as the commons become increasingly altered and enclosed and management challenges extend beyond the boundaries of any given unit of property, institutional theory must extend beyond discrete property regimes. This paper argues that as natural resource management challenges grow more complex and interconnected, common property theory in the Ostrom tradition remains an essential component of successful management solutions – for common pool resources, public and private goods alike. Building on the commons and externality literature in general, and the Ostrom and Coasean traditions in particular, we propose the use of the term “hybrid institution” to explore the governance of common or connected interests within and between diverse property regimes. Following a general introduction to a set of propositions for encompassing this expanded realm of application of commons theory, we use the literature on integrated natural resource management to frame the scope of “commons” issues facing rural communities today. Empirical and action research from eastern Africa and logical arguments are each used to illustrate and sharpen the focus of our propositions so that they can be tested and refined in future research. This analysis demonstrates the instrumental potential of the concept of hybrid institutions as a framework for shaping more productive engagements with seemingly intractable natural resource management challenges at farm and landscape scale. Our analysis suggests that central elements of the Ostrom and Coasean traditions can be complementary explanatory lenses for contemporary resource conflict and management.

Contrasting approaches to statistical regression in ecology and economics

Summary 1 Conservation and natural resource management challenges are as much social problems as biological ones. In recognition of this fact, ecologists and economists work increasingly closely together. We discuss one barrier to effective integration of the two disciplines: put simply, many ecologists and economists approach statistical regression differently. 2 Regression techniques provide the most commonly used approach for empirical analyses of land management decisions. Researchers from each discipline attribute differing importance to a range of possibly conflicting design criteria when formulating regression analyses. 3 Ecologists commonly attribute greater importance to spatial autocorrelation and parsimony than do economists when designing regressions. Economists often attribute greater importance than ecologists to concerns about endogeneity and conformance with a priori theoretical expectations. 4 Synthesis and applications. The differing importance attributed to different design characteristics may reflect a process of cultural drift within each discipline. Greater interdisciplinary collaboration can counteract this process by stimulating the flow of ideas and techniques across disciplinary boundaries.

Intensification of Integrated Oil Palm–Ruminant Systems

This paper discusses the potential importance and growing expansion of integrated oil palm–ruminant systems. It focuses on the significance of productivity-enhancing technologies and intensification consistent with economic benefits, social acceptance and environmental integrity, and alludes to potential opportunities associated with the sustainable development of such systems. The inclusion of animals in oil palm plantations has the distinct advantages of increasing productivity, providing supplies of animal proteins, and adding value to the oil palm crop. The principal feeds from the oil palm are oil palm trunks, oil palm fronds, palm kernel cake and palm oil mill effluent. These feeds, together with leguminous tree forages, provide for very efficient in situ development of oil palm-based feeding systems for ruminants that provide balanced diets and are relatively low-cost and cost-effective. A review of available data involving cattle in integrated systems indicates the following economic impacts: increased productivity from animals and offtakes, increased yield of fresh fruit bunches, increased income, savings in weeding costs, and an internal rate of return of about 19%. These economic impacts clearly encourage large-scale development of the systems: for this to happen, there is a need for supportive policies and more aggressive technology application on-farm. In addition, complacency needs to be overcome if there is to be wider adoption of the systems. Interest in integrated systems is increasing as intensification and the search for demonstrable efficiency in natural resource management and sustainable production pose challenges for the future.