Community-based Ecosystem Research Articles

Refusal of Village Forest as Petalangan People Politic of Value in Community-Based Ecosystem Revitalization in Riau Indonesia

This study is about the ethnography of the dynamics of Village Forest refusal as politic of value of the Petalangan People in Gondai Village, Pelalawan, Riau, in a community-based ecosystem revitalization of Teso Nilo (RETN) scheme. They refuse the social forestry scheme, which was proposed by themselves and a local non-governmental organization (NGO) and legalized by the state in 2017. The use of the refusal theory, relation of property, politic of value, and value commensuration approaches in studies of tenure claims by Indigenous people such as the Petalangan people, shows that the refusal here is the strategy of Indigenous People to get possibilities on claiming and using their land for commodity plantation such as palm oil and any of benefit to their interest, not as social forestry scheme regulates by government that some part of the forests must have the conservation zone. The Village Forest land at Mamahan Hamlet claimed by the Petalangan People full of palm oil plantations, housing, and all the public facilities for one hamlet. It shows from the relation of property of Petalangan People that the location of village forest is now under the control and ownership of migrants from North Sumatra, and only 1% of the total 9021 hectares are owned by themselves. The study found how NGO actors failed to mitigate conflict from internal politics inside the Petalangan People and only focused on how the legalization of Village Forests can be a solution to restore the Teso Nilo ecosystem. The implication is the revitalization of the ecosystem is only successful for legalizing the land and reducing conflict between the state and the Indigenous People, not for improving the environmental condition of the ecosystem. The theory used in this study gives nuance to the limited study using value theory to analyze the social forestry and Indigenous People that already have mono-crop culture livelihood in just the past two decades in Indonesia

Community preferences for participating in ecotourism: A case study in a coastal lagoon in Colombia

Ecotourism is grounded in the concept of socio-environmental sustainability. However, the literature needs more clarification on the determinants of ex ante determinants for community participation in ecotourism in coastal lagoon ecosystems. This paper aims to analyze community-based ecosystem management through participation in ecotourism. After a case study design, a survey-like method was used to identify the social willingness to engage in ecotourism and the benefits that the participants preferred as a result of participating. The results show that most respondents believe that ecotourism would promote environmental conservation in the area and also considered their participation essential to ensure the success of ecotourism. Therefore, this research emphasizes the importance of identifying local perceptions of ecotourism before its implementation, evaluates the willingness of locals to participate in this strategy to highlight community agency, and investigates how participation could be achieved. These results are useful for future research and studies on the willingness to take part in ecotourism studies and the understanding of the relationship between society and ecosystems.

A social work perspective on the opioid solution: a community-based expansion of the hub-and-spoke ecosystem

ABSTRACT Opioid use and overdose deaths have reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. Despite the opioid epidemic being broad, pervasive and multi-faceted, it has been addressed with a disaggregated acute care model. The opioid crisis requires a coordinated, multi-pronged approach that utilizes available evidence to develop and sustain robust clinical expertise, prevention efforts and community engagement, extending from prevention to research to systems realms. This endpage outlines a community-based expansion of the Hub-and-Spoke ecosystem of opioid use disorder care in which social workers are well-positioned to support individuals and communities impacted by the opioid epidemic in achieving healing and long-term recovery. VIDEO ABSTRACT SCRIPT McCormick, K.A. & Holleran-Steiker, L. (in press). A social work perspective on the opioid solution: A community-based expansion of the Hub-and-Spoke Ecosystem. Journal of Social Work Practice in Addictions. At present, Substance Use Disorders are one of the most critical issues in the U.S., with opioid use and overdose deaths reaching epidemic proportions. However, the statistics available are likely a gross underrepresentation of the true extent of the problem due to insufficient data collection and reporting practices. While the traditional Hub-and-Spoke model of opioid use disorder care has substantially increased treatment capacity, it does not capture people who are not yet ready to pursue medical treatment or who resist medical settings for various reasons. Because the epidemic is broad, pervasive and multi-faceted, it requires a coordinated, multi-pronged approach that utilizes available evidence to develop and sustain clinical expertise, prevention efforts and community engagement across systems. To develop such a system, we partnered with national legal, economic and clinical opioid experts, scoped existing peer-reviewed research literature and consulted with community stakeholders to design a robust ecosystem for addressing the opioid epidemic. We propose an expanded Hub-and-Spoke ecosystem that consists of six major components, including prevention, treatment, harm reduction interventions, grief therapy, a health information technology system, and an overarching research and evaluation structure to support successful implementation of the ecosystem. The opioid epidemic is the deadliest drug epidemic in the history of the U.S. and one of the worst systemic crises in the Nation’s history. To successfully and substantially address the epidemic, we must develop a robust, multi-pronged community-based ecosystem that facilitates seamless coordination among systems. This community-based expansion of the Hub-and-Spoke ecosystem acts as one such model, and we are excited to share it with the research and practice communities.

Community-based ecosystem management (CbEM) of Arial Beel at Munshiganj District in Bangladesh by integrating MIMES model

The purpose of this study is to assess the current state of community-based ecosystem management (CbEM) of at Munshiganj District in Bangladesh by applying Multiscale Integrated Model of Ecosystem Services (MIMES) approach. Both primary and secondary data were collected through questionnaire survey, focus group discussions (FGD) and content analysis from various sources. The SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities, and threat) analysis are applied to prioritize the most important strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in Arial Beel ecosystem services. Besides, the DPSIR framework was also applied for conceptual framework to assess the effects on ecosystem services. The study outcome reveals that all ecosystem services (ES) have high importance to the respondents in every sphere of life. The MIMES model analysis was shown that easily accessible and pleasant climatic conditions were the strength whereas funding problems and less private input on agriculture were identified to be the weakness. Fisheries utilization and the huge availability of raw materials were found to be opportunities. On the other hand, over-harvesting of the natural resources and increasing, use of fertilizer/pesticides in agricultural land were found to be the main threat for ecosystem services. Also, the DPSIR model framework gives a conceptual idea about the driving forces, its pressure, its current state, impact, and responses of the ecosystem services, respectively. Finally, this paper shows some aspects of community perception of ES which have the potentiality to generate knowledge to protect the services of the wetland.

Needs Analysis for a Community-Based Electronic Learning Management Ecosystem

This paper explains the need for sustainable information-based management technologies for the online community-based ecosystem, its analogies, architecture design, and delivery. Subsequently, this paper describes the benefits of the proposed ecosystem compared to the currently available platforms. Additionally, this article investigates the problems in the systems of two higher learning institutions. Now, the systems used in higher education institutions are disintegrated. The proposed ecosystem objective is to bridge data redundancy and duplication gaps among higher learning institutions. The research methodologies used are document analysis, participant observation and in- depth interviews. This document creates a learning community culture among the five distinguished members: 1) Lecturers, 2) students, 3) administrators, 4) public, and 5) potential employers. Online Community-based Ecosystem (OnCE) is a system created specifically for the learning community culture. The result of the gathered data shows that the OnCE system can impact students’ learning proficiency and positively influence their learning culture. The implication of this research shows that the online community-based ecosystem is essential to support learning and ensure improved facilities, knowledge, and skills, thus preparing graduates before entering the job market, even though courses are taught remotely using educational technology.

MedSens index: The bridge between marine citizen science and coastal management

Citizen science (CS) projects may provide community-based ecosystem monitoring, expanding our ability to collect data across space and time. However, the data from CS are often not effectively integrated into institutional monitoring programs and decision-making processes, especially in marine conservation. This limitation is partially due to difficulties in accessing the data and the lack of tools and indices for proper management at intended spatial and temporal scales. MedSens is a biotic index specifically developed to provide information on the environmental status of subtidal rocky coastal habitats, filling a gap between marine CS and coastal management in the Mediterranean Sea. The MedSens index is based on 25 selected species, incorporating their sensitivities to the pressures indicated by the European Union’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and open data on their distributions and abundances, collected by trained volunteers (scuba divers, free divers and snorkelers) using the Reef Check Mediterranean Underwater Coastal Environment Monitoring (RCMed U-CEM) protocol. The species sensitivities were assessed relative to their resistance and resilience against physical, chemical, and biological pressures, according to benchmark levels and a literature review. The MedSens index was calibrated on a dataset of 33,021 observations from 569 volunteers (2001–2019), along six countries’ coasts. A free and user-friendly QGIS plugin allows easy index calculation for areas and time frames of interest. The MedSens index was applied to Mediterranean marine protected areas (MPAs) and the management and monitoring zones within Italian MPAs. In the studied cases, the MedSens index responds well to the local pressures documented by previous investigations.MedSens converts the data collected by trained volunteers into an effective monitoring tool for the Mediterranean subtidal rocky coastal habitats. MedSens can help conservationists and decision-makers identify the main pressures acting in these habitats, as required by the MSFD, supporting them in the implementation of appropriate marine biodiversity conservation measures and better communicate the results of their actions. By directly involving stakeholders, this approach increases public awareness and the acceptability of management decisions, enabling more participatory conservation tactics.

Prospective evaluation of the impact of land use change on ecosystem services in the Ourika watershed, Morocco

Land use change at the local stage affects the flow of ecosystem services at all levels. Analyzing the causes of land use change such as anthropogenic activities in the case of the Ourika watershed will facilitate sustainable policies. A decision-making tool, InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade Offs) was used to quantify three ecosystem services and to generate three spatially explicit land use scenarios (trend, development and conservation) with expert stakeholders and the local population. The results indicate that forest expansion under the conservation scenario increased carbon sequestration and sediment retention by 34.29 % and 7.17 % but decreased water yield by 0.75 %. Comparably, a combination of forest and cropland expansion under the trend scenario generated a moderate increase by 8.4 % and 0.98 % but a negligible decrease of 0.09 %. A decline in the forests under the development scenario caused an improvement in the water yield by 0.12 % but a decrease in carbon sequestration and sediment retention by 6.06 % and 0.88 % respectively. A combination of forests and croplands through agroforestry systems enhances the provision of all the three ecosystem services. Community-based ecosystem and land management is the best way to improve ecosystem services at the local level.

The transformative community-based humanitarian service ecosystem

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the humanitarian service management categories that influence long-term transformation within complex community-based service ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach This study utilizes mixed methods to present a dynamic model that provides insight into the complexities of supplying, distributing and transporting charitable resources to underserved communities. The interdisciplinary study draws on the theory of service-dominant logic and service science, presents critical elements of transformative service research and uses system dynamics approach to propose a visual causal loop model. Findings This study develops a dynamic model for studying humanitarian service and value propositions in underserved communities. This paper combines the extant literature to emphasize key humanitarian service categories that influence, and are influenced by, service exchanges within community-based contexts. Research limitations/implications This paper is limited in providing quantitative methods in analyzing the case study data. However, the research is still helpful in providing acumen via the causal loop diagram to specifically look into each variable and see their cause and effect relationships in the community-based ecosystem. The research represents an opportunity to model the humanitarian aid and relief scenarios to help make more effective decision-making interventions. Practical implications The model serves as a managerial tool to determine critical services that optimize resource utilization within the community-based service ecosystems. Insights from this research are broadly applicable to the contexts of humanitarian logistics and supply chain management (HLSCM) solutions for community-based ventures. Originality/value This paper conceptualizes how the management of service-for-service exchanges, logistics services and charitable donation management provides transformational humanitarian services and value propositions within underserved communities. This study further provides fundamental contributions by addressing research gaps in the HLSCM domain by supporting service research and the community-based context.

Enable the Disabled as Technopreneur; Understanding the Challenges

To achieve its target of becoming a high income country in 2020, Malaysia has taken an initiative to adopt The Incheon Strategy to Make the Right Real for PWDs in Asia and the Pacific which comprises 10 goals, 27 targets and 62 indicators to address the issues of social justice and social rights regardless of race, religion and disabilities. In this paper, we discuss the plan and policies put in place in order for the government to develop an ecosystem based on the right of PWDs and community-based ecosystem that will support social mobility for PWDs. Based on the existing infrastructures provided insofar by the government, there is still plenty of room for improvement, especially in the early intervention in the context of social skills development and entrepreneurship programs for the PWDs.

Protein mass spectrometry extends temporal blood meal detection over polymerase chain reaction in mouse-fed Chagas disease vectors.

BACKGROUND Chagas disease is highly prevalent in Latin America, and vector control is the most effective control strategy to date. We have previously shown that liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is a valuable tool for identifying triatomine vector blood meals.OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to determine blood meal detection ability as a function of method [polymerase chain reaction (PCR) vs. LC-MS/MS], time since feeding, and the effect of molting in mouse-fed triatomine insect vectors targeting hemoglobin and albumin proteins with LC-MS/MS and short interspersed nuclear elements (SINE)-based PCR.METHODS We experimentally fed Triatoma protracta on mice and used LC-MS/MS to detect hemoglobin and albumin peptides over time post-feeding and post-molting (≤ 12 weeks). We compared LC-MS/MS results with those of a standard PCR method based on SINEs.FINDINGS Hemoglobin-based LC-MS/MS detected blood meals most robustly at all time points post-feeding. Post-molting, no blood meals were detected with PCR, whereas LC-MS/MS detected mouse hemoglobin and albumin up to 12 weeks.MAIN CONCLUSIONS In our study, the hemoglobin signature in the insect abdomen lasted longer than that of albumin and DNA. LC-MS/MS using hemoglobin shows promise for identifying triatomine blood meals over long temporal scales and even post-molting. Clarifying the frequency of blood-feeding on different hosts can foster our understanding of vector behavior and may help devise sounder disease-control strategies, including Ecohealth (community based ecosystem management) approaches.

Degradation and conservation of Brazilian mangroves, status and perspectives

Mangroves are one of the most human-affected coastal ecosystems, despite their important social and ecological roles, and after decades of devastation these forests continue facing different processes of conversion, threatening their global future. Brazilian mangroves are not an exception, despite the existence of severe protection legislation. Conversions to aquaculture, industrial and urban development among others, have destroyed more than 50,000 ha (about 4% of the total mangrove area in the country) over the past three decades. Restoration efforts have somewhat minimized losses, but has recuperated only a 5% of the total degraded area. Despite criticized, monospecific plantings have demonstrated return of some ecosystem structure and functioning, and seems to be a starting point in mangrove restoration. Around 70% of Brazilian mangroves are today inside preserved areas, but the effectiveness of these advances continues impaired by bureaucracy, lack of conservation policies and economic interests. We estimate the status of Brazilian mangroves and review some restoration and conservation efforts, suggesting some management measures like restoration and community-based ecosystem management. Based in a reforested stand in Northeastern Brazil, we assess the environmental cost of mangrove clearing and reforestation results.

Innovative community-based ecosystem management for dengue and Chagas disease prevention in low and middle income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In 2009, the WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) launched a call for innovative community-based ecosystem management research projects for dengue and Chagas disease prevention in low and middle income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Eight research institutions were selected. The outputs of these projects led to a better understanding of the interaction between ecological, biological, social and economic (eco-bio-social) determinants of dengue and Chagas disease in Latin America and the Caribbean. Both diseases are considered highly relevant in the regional health agendas.

Eco-bio-social research on community-based approaches for Chagas disease vector control in Latin America.

This article provides an overview of three research projects which designed and implemented innovative interventions for Chagas disease vector control in Bolivia, Guatemala and Mexico. The research initiative was based on sound principles of community-based ecosystem management (ecohealth), integrated vector management, and interdisciplinary analysis. The initial situational analysis achieved a better understanding of ecological, biological and social determinants of domestic infestation. The key factors identified included: housing quality; type of peridomestic habitats; presence and abundance of domestic dogs, chickens and synanthropic rodents; proximity to public lights; location in the periphery of the village. In Bolivia, plastering of mud walls with appropriate local materials and regular cleaning of beds and of clothes next to the walls, substantially decreased domestic infestation and abundance of the insect vector Triatoma infestans. The Guatemalan project revealed close links between house infestation by rodents and Triatoma dimidiata, and vector infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. A novel community-operated rodent control program significantly reduced rodent infestation and bug infection. In Mexico, large-scale implementation of window screens translated into promising reductions in domestic infestation. A multi-pronged approach including community mobilisation and empowerment, intersectoral cooperation and adhesion to integrated vector management principles may be the key to sustainable vector and disease control in the affected regions.

Assessing community values to support mapping of ecosystem services in the Koshi river basin, Nepal

Human activities and climate change are key factors impacting ecosystem functions and its goods and services, which are important to the livelihoods of mountain communities. In Nepal, community based ecosystem management has been widely adopted as a way to secure local management and empowerment, but local knowledge, perceptions and values of ecosystem change and services are often ignored, and perhaps inadequately understood, in decision-making processes at district or national level. Our objective therefore was to develop a multi-method approach to support mapping of ecosystem services and assessing their local values. Local perceptions of ecosystem use, change and values were identified using participatory mapping, key informant and focus group discussions, and an extensive household survey carried out in the upstream Koshi River basin. Results were cross-validated with scientific literature, statistics and remote sensing data. Key ecosystem services identified are water, agricultural produce, and various forest products, most of which show a declining trend. We demonstrate that the use of different methods and levels of input results in different and complementary types of insights and detail needed for balanced and informed decision-making regarding sustainable management of ESs to secure current and future livelihoods and ecosystem functioning.

Ecobiosocial Community Intervention for Improved Aedes aegypti Control Using Water Container Covers to Prevent Dengue: Lessons Learned from Girardot Colombia

NTRODUCTIONDengue is the most important mosquito-borne viral diseaseworldwide (WHO 2012). Its incidence has grown dramat-ically around the world in recent decades making it a majorpublic health concern (Badurdeen et al. 2013; BrathwaiteDick et al. 2012; Morens et al. 2013). Over 40% of theworld’s population is now at risk from dengue and thedisease is endemic in more than 100 countries. TheAmericas, South-east Asia and the Western Pacific regionsare the most seriously affected. Colombia in South Amer-ica, was classified as the eighth most highly endemiccountry between 2004 and 2010 (WHO 2012). In 2010, thecountry suffered the worst registered epidemic with157,203 cases, 147,426 dengue cases and 9,777 severe den-gue, with a lethality of 2.26% (230 deaths). The year 2013was an important epidemiological year with epidemicoutbreaks registered in Colombia and neighbouring LatinAmerican countries (OPS 2013).The predominant dengue vector is Aedes aegypti,adomestic mosquito species whose breeding sites are relatedto environmental factors linked and maintained by humanbehaviours—individual, collective and institutional—andtheir related social, economic and political contexts (Powelland Tabachnick 2013). Until a vaccine becomes availablefor public health use, primary prevention remains depen-dent upon institutional, social and dengue vector controlprogrammes, which include domestic environmentalmanagement such as source reduction, provision of safewater, covering and screening of water containers, andreduction of vector to human contact through the use ofinsecticide-treated nets in windows and doors (Erlangeret al. 2008).This study sits within the project entitled Ecobiosocialapproach for the design and implementation of a sustain-able strategy for dengue vector control in Girardot (Gi-rardot libre de dengue in Spanish), which is based on amulti-country effort developed following a TDR/IDRCproposal on Innovative Community-Based EcosystemManagement Interventions for Improved Chagas andDengue Disease Prevention in Latin America and theCaribbean. Girardot is located 120 km from Bogota, thecapital of the country and presents ecological (289 MASL)and climatic conditions [Mean temperature 28 C, rainfall821 mm and humidity 80% with a dry (December–April)and rainy season (May–October)] that make the city one ofthe most endemic municipalities of dengue in the country.Long-lasting insecticide-treated curtains on windowsand water containers were selected as suitable interventionsbased on the literature (Kroeger et al. 2006; Lenhart et al.2008; Seng et al. 2008; Vanlerberghe et al. 2010; TDR 2006)and the results of phase one of the project (Quintero et al.2014). First, natural populations of A. aegypti in Girardot

'Nested' participation in hierarchical societies? Lessons for social- ecological research and management

In the shift from community-based ecosystem management to co-management by the government and user groups, the participation of local resource users has remained important. In research, participatory approaches aim to enable local communities to contribute to sustainability knowledge. However, the outcomes of participatory practice have been particularly meagre in hierarchical contexts. The article links the difficulties of participatory practice to the hierarchical features of Indonesian society and examines a recently conducted participatory analysis of the social-ecological dynamics surrounding marine resource management in an Indonesian coral archipelago. We discuss the options and limitations encountered in this distinctly hierarchical society and suggest an approach for designing nested participation in this and similarly hierarchical socio-cultural settings. A visual tool is suggested which particularly supports the participation of ecosystem users in the lower ranks of social hierarchies in the search for more sustainable social-ecological futures.

Creating and sustaining community capacity for ecosystem-based management: Is local government the key?

Recently, collaborative approaches to natural resource management have been widely promoted as ways to broaden participation and community involvement in furthering the goals of ecosystem management. The language of collaboration has even been incorporated into controversial legislation, such as the US Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003. This research examines collaboration and sharing management responsibility for federal public land with local communities through a case study of the Ashland Municipal Watershed in southern Oregon. A policy sciences approach is used to analyze community participation and institutional relationships between the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, and local city government in the planning processes of five land management actions occurring over a 7-year period. The knowledge gained from examining differing approaches to planning and decision making in the Ashland watershed is used to suggest future planning processes to develop and sustain the community capacity necessary to support implementation of community-based ecosystem management.

Understanding Community Capacity Using Adaptive and Reflexive Research Practices: Lessons From Two Canadian Biosphere Reserves

Community-based ecosystem management requires understanding a community's capacity. We argue that communities can make important contributions not only to specific assessments of community capacity, but also to the conceptualization of the term itself through community-based research methods that are both adaptive and reflexive. A research initiative that illustrates such practices is reported here. We begin by describing our initial conceptual framework of community capacity that identified resource capitals and mobilizing factors. In focus groups, residents of two Canadian biosphere reserves used this framework to assess their capacity to meet biosphere reserve mandates and to provide critical reflections that helped to drive revisions to the framework. Our new framework is more sensitive to temporal and spatial dimensions of capacity, local social relations, and local culture. We conclude that adaptive and reflexive community-based offer methodological alternatives for research, help advance conceptions of community capacity, and help produce social change.

Community-based rice ecosystem management for suppressing vector anophelines in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is one of the Asian countries most affected by mosquito-borne diseases, especially malaria. This 18-month study assessed the effectiveness of a new community-based ecosystem management programme to control mosquito vectors in the country's rice ecosystem. Farmers in a malaria-prone village were educated and motivated to engage in source reduction as well as measures to restore and maximise rice ecosystem functions. Over the course of the programme, the impact of farmers' ecosystem management on local mosquito ecology was also examined. Although little impact was detected on Culex and Aedes densities, adult Anopheles density was significantly suppressed in the southwest monsoon season. Rice farmers who manage their ecosystems can reduce the burden of Anopheles mosquitoes, interrupt malaria transmission and prevent the destruction of ecosystems.

A Diagrammatic Approach to Understanding Complex Eco-Social Interactions in Kathmandu, Nepal

Neudoerffer, R. Cynthia, D. Waltner-Toews, J. Kay, D.D. Joshi, M.S. Tamang. 2005. A diagrammatic approach to understanding complex eco-social interactions in Kathmandu, Nepal. Ecology and Society 10(2): 12. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-01488-100212