Deterioration Of Biodiversity Research Articles

Workplace spirituality and organization sustainability: a theoretical perspective on hospitality employees’ sustainable behavior

Organizations are under pressure to find new, sustainable practices to help deal with the deterioration of biodiversity, widening social inequality, and unsustainable use of scarce resources. The most pressing challenge for organizations is how to engage every employee in organizational sustainability process/practice, which is vital for a collective approach toward achieving organizational sustainability. This issue is even more of a concern in tourism and hospitality, which depends heavily on natural resources on the one hand, but is a labor-intensive sector with a huge number of employees on the other hand. However, there is a gap and lack of adequate focus in hospitality literature regarding workplace spirituality’s role, an employee-friendly work environment that raises the spirit of employees, and its contribution to the promotion of sustainable behavior among the employees. Nevertheless, some studies argue that workplace spirituality enhances the sense of community, increases other-centeredness value orientation, boosts social capital, and promotes empathy and compassion in the work environment. Based on a review of the literature, this study conceptually establishes a connection between workplace spirituality and sustainable behavior of employees at the organizational level. Thus, it is suggested that hospitality organizations can cultivate workplace spirituality and the creation of moral bedrock within the organizational space. The outcome of this process will uplift employees’ commitment to sustainable practices, environmental values, and their organization’s prosperity.

A comparative investigation on the inhibition kinetics of bioaccumulation of As(III) and As(V) ions using Bacillus arsenicus MTCC 4380

In the context of global environmental and social change, with increasing pollution and deterioration of biodiversity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems having its deep roots in radical changes to hydrological mesocycles, there is an urgent requirement for a new approach for sustainability. The ecohydrology concept covers the entire hydrological cycle, including its atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic phases, and the entire cycle of biological components of the environment playing a vital role as moderators of water quality and quantity. In the present study the simultaneous growth and bioaccumulation of As(III) and As(V) ions of living cells of Bacillus arsenicus MTCC 4380 was studied as a function of pH, inoculum size, concentrations of peptone and arsenic (As(III) or As(V)) ions. Although both As(III) and As(V) ions resulted in an inhibition effect on the growth of the bacteria, B. arsenicus MTCC 4380 was capable of removing As(III) and As(V) with the maximum bioaccumulation % of 90.43 and 94.31 at 50mg/L initial arsenic concentration, respectively at pH 7.0 and inoculum size 5% (v/v). As the maximum specific growth rate (μm) remained constant and the saturation constant (K′S,app) value increased in the presence of increasing concentrations of arsenic ions, the inhibition of As(III) or As(V) ions on the growth rate of B. arsenicus MTCC 4380 was found to be a competitive inhibition. The current investigation provides a new insight into the effect of As(III) and As(V) ions on B. arsenicus MTCC 4380, exclusively with regard to its toxicity, bioaccumulation and bioremediation potential.

A Contribution to the Knowledge of Vascular Flora of the Site of Biological and Ecological Interest of Kharouba in the Central Plateau of Morocco

The current study aims to quantify and evaluate the Tetraclinis stands (Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl.) Masters) richness and floristic diversity at Kharouba Site of Biological and Ecological Interest (SBEI). The 150 floristic surveys conducted in the site allowed us to inventory 143 species distinguished with rare taxa majority that are distributed over 54 families and 123 genera. This reduced number of taxa reflects the alarming biodiversity deterioration of the SBEI. The study also enabled us to define the biological spectrum of the study area that is characterized by a significant abundance of Therophytes.

GIS-based evaluation and spatial distribution characteristics of land degradation in Bijiang watershed

Land degradation is one of the significant issues the human beings are confronted with, which has become a bottleneck of restricting the sustainable development of the regional society and economy. In order to ascertain the root causes contributed to the land degradation and characteristics of land degradation, Bijiang watershed, the most important Lead-Zinc mine area of Lanping county of Yunnan Province, was selected as the study area. One evaluation index system for land degradation that consists of 5 single factors(water-soil erosion intensity, geological disaster risk, cultivation intensity of arable land, pollution of heavy metals in soil and biodiversity deterioration) was established and 13 indicators were chosen, and the entropy method was adopted to assign weights to each single factor. By using the tools of Geographic Information System (GIS), the land degradation degree was evaluated and one spatial distribution map for land degradation was accomplished. In this study, the land of the whole watershed was divided into 4 types, including extremely-severe degradation area, severely-degraded area, moderately-degraded area and slightly-degraded area, and some solutions for ecological restoration and rehabilitation were also put forward in this study. The study results indicated that: (1) Water-soil erosion intension and pollution of heavy metals in soil have made greater contribution to the comprehensive land degradation in Bijiang watershed; (2) There is an apparent difference regarding land degradation degree in Bijiang watershed. The moderately-degraded area accounts for the most part in the region, which covers 79.66% of the whole watershed. The severely-degraded area accounts for 15.98% and the slightly-degraded regions and extremely severe degradation area accounts for 1.08% and 3.28% respectively; (3) There is an evident regularity of spatial distribution in land degradation in Bijiang watershed. The moderately-degraded areas mainly distribute in the most part of the mid-stream and down-stream, the slightly-degraded areas distribute in the mid-stream, the severely-degraded areas distribute in the upstream and south-west part of down-stream, the extremely severe degradation areas distribute in the east and middle part of the upstream; (4)From the administrative division viewpoint, the slightly-degraded areas primarily distribute in Jiancao township, Baishi town and Nuodeng town. The moderately-degraded areas distribute in Changxin township, Baofeng township, Jiancao township, Baishi town and Nuodeng town. The severely-degraded areas distribute in Jinding town, Baofeng township and Lajing town. The extremely severe degradation areas distribute in Jinding town. By connecting the spatial distribution mode for land degradation with other natural, economical elements, we drew a conclusion that the pollution in heavy metals in soil, serious water erosion and geological disasters are the main causes of the land degradation in Bijiang watershed.

Valuation of environmental and societal trade-offs of renewable energy sources

Use of renewable energy sources is one solution to decrease green house gas emissions and the use of polluting fossil fuels. Renewables differ in their environmental and societal impacts, and to design sound renewable energy policy, societies need to assess the trade-offs between alternative sources. To enable the evaluation and comparison of renewable energy production alternatives in Finland, this paper applies the choice experiment to elicit the monetary information on people's preferences for four renewable energy sources: wind power, hydro power and energy from crops and wood, and considers four impacts of energy production: effects on biodiversity, local jobs, carbon emissions and household's electricity bill. The nested logit analysis reveals that higher income, male gender, young age, and pro-environmental attitude increase the probability to choose renewable energy instead of the current energy mix. Wind power is, on average, the most popular renewable energy technology, but regional differences exist. Biodiversity deterioration should be avoided. The national aggregate willingness to pay, based on stated preferences rather than preferences revealed by actual market behavior, for a combination of renewable energy technologies that corresponds to Finland's climate change and energy policy is over 500 million Euros.

Farm nitrogen balances in six European landscapes as an indicator for nitrogen losses and basis for improved management

Abstract. Improved management of nitrogen (N) in agriculture is necessary to achieve a sustainable balance between the production of food and other biomass, and the unwanted effects of N on water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity deterioration and human health. To analyse farm N-losses and the complex interactions within farming systems, efficient methods for identifying emissions hotspots and evaluating mitigation measures are therefore needed. The present paper aims to fill this gap at the farm and landscape scales. Six agricultural landscapes in Poland (PL), the Netherlands (NL), France (FR), Italy (IT), Scotland (UK) and Denmark (DK) were studied, and a common method was developed for undertaking farm inventories and the derivation of farm N balances, N surpluses and for evaluating uncertainty for the 222 farms and 11 440 ha of farmland included in the study. In all landscapes, a large variation in the farm N surplus was found, and thereby a large potential for reductions. The highest average N surpluses were found in the most livestock-intensive landscapes of IT, FR, and NL; on average 202 ± 28, 179 ± 63 and 178 ± 20 kg N ha−1 yr−1, respectively. All landscapes showed hotspots, especially from livestock farms, including a special UK case with large-scale landless poultry farming. Overall, the average N surplus from the land-based UK farms dominated by extensive sheep and cattle grazing was only 31 ± 10 kg N ha−1 yr−1, but was similar to the N surplus of PL and DK (122 ± 20 and 146 ± 55 kg N ha−1 yr−1, respectively) when landless poultry farming was included. We found farm N balances to be a useful indicator for N losses and the potential for improving N management. Significant correlations to N surplus were found, both with ammonia air concentrations and nitrate concentrations in soils and groundwater, measured during the period of N management data collection in the landscapes from 2007–2009. This indicates that farm N surpluses may be used as an independent dataset for validation of measured and modelled N emissions in agricultural landscapes. No significant correlation was found with N measured in surface waters, probably because of spatial and temporal variations in groundwater buffering and biogeochemical reactions affecting N flows from farm to surface waters. A case study of the development in N surplus from the landscape in DK from 1998–2008 showed a 22% reduction related to measures targeted at N emissions from livestock farms. Based on the large differences in N surplus between average N management farms and the most modern and N-efficient farms, it was concluded that additional N-surplus reductions of 25–50%, as compared to the present level, were realistic in all landscapes. The implemented N-surplus method was thus effective for comparing and synthesizing results on farm N emissions and the potentials of mitigation options. It is recommended for use in combination with other methods for the assessment of landscape N emissions and farm N efficiency, including more detailed N source and N sink hotspot mapping, measurements and modelling.

Grazing alters ecosystem functioning and C:N:P stoichiometry of grasslands along a regional precipitation gradient

Summary The Eurasian steppe has long been subject to grazing by domestic ungulates at high levels, resulting in widespread deterioration of biodiversity and ecosystem services. While abundant evidence demonstrates that heavy grazing alters the ecosystem structure and function of grasslands, research on how grazing specifically affects ecosystem functioning and stoichiometry on broad scales is scarce because of a lack of adequate ungrazed reference sites. We examined the effects of grazing on ecosystem functioning and C : N : P stoichiometry across a precipitation gradient along the 700 km China–Mongolia transect (CMT), covering three community types: meadow steppe, typical steppe and desert steppe. Long‐term grazing has dramatically altered the C, N and P pools and stoichiometry of steppe ecosystems along the CMT. Grazing reduced the C, N and P pools in above‐ground biomass and litter, while the responses in below‐ground biomass and soil C, N and P pools to grazing differed substantially among community types. Grazing increased N content and decreased C : N ratios in all plant compartments, suggesting accelerated N cycling. The altered C : N : P stoichiometry may be explained by changes in the composition of species and functional groups as well as increased foliar N and P contents for the same species in grazed communities. Synthesis and applications. Plant stoichiometric responses to grazing ranged from large in the meadow steppe to small in the typical steppe to generally insignificant in the desert steppe, implying that different underlying mechanisms operated along the regional precipitation gradient. Our findings suggest that reducing the stocking rate and restoring the vastly degraded steppes are essential to sustain native steppe biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and biological capacity for mitigating the impact of climate change in the Inner Mongolia grassland.

Reestablishing the health of secondary forests Satoyama endangered by Japanese oak wilt: A preliminary report

Japanese oak wilt caused by the fungus Raffaelea quercivora is increasing in secondary forests known as Satoyama that are surrounding rural communities. Oak wilt is occurring in stands that are 40 to 70 years old that have been used for fuel wood and charcoal production and then left unmanaged because those wood fuels were replaced with gas and kerosene since 1950s. An ambrosia beetle, Platypus quercivorus, which vectors the pathogen, can propagate effectively in thicker trunks. Due to the extensive population growth of this beetle in aged “Satoyama” forests, the infested areas are increasing annually. A drastic change occurs in the vegetation after the mass mortality of oak trees. Deterioration of biodiversity and soil erosion are of concern. To reduce oak mortality, rejuvenation of trees will be effective because the vector beetle cannot propagate in thin trunks. We are conducting an experiment to reestablish the health of “Satoyama” forests that are slightly affected by this disease. In this experiment, aged forests were clear-cut to promote sprouting from the oak stumps. This is a coordinated effort among the local governments and researchers. The management of the “Satoyama” combined with the utilization of biomass as fuel wood in the local area is essential for the success of this project. Key words: Oak, wilt, Raffaelea quercivora, biomass, management.

Biodiversity Policy Challenges

Global responses to the deterioration of biodiversity have been slow to emerge, but next month the United Nations (UN) Environment Programme hosts a meeting * in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss the next steps in establishing a new science/policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services.The response in this arena still lags far behind negotiations related to climate change, but the meeting is a chance to boost international action, based on strong scientific evidence. An important motivation for creating this interface is meeting the goals of international multilateral agreements, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Unlike the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which has the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, these environmental conventions lack a pre-convention science assessment and have no provision for subsequent government-endorsed, independent science. The meeting in Nairobi will debate, among other issues, how best to make up for this crucial omission.

Multiple effects of urbanization on the biodiversity of developing countries: The case of a fast-growing metropolitan area (Concepción, Chile)

Urbanization is increasingly homogenizing the biota of less developed countries. Even though urban sprawl is a worldwide problem, most studies on the effects of urbanization, and the conceptual models have focused on developed countries. South America has not escaped urbanization, and here we discuss the potential impacts of urban sprawl with respect to three ecosystems in the metropolitan area of Concepción, Chile. We consider this area a good model and fairly representative of other cities in developing countries which are also experiencing rapid and uncontrolled growth. We found that the impacts of urban sprawl on biodiversity in the metropolitan area of Concepción differ little from cities in other parts of the world: native ecosystems are replaced by pavements and buildings and what is left of the natural soil is covered with green areas dominated by non-native ornamental species. Wetlands and other peri-urban ecosystems are rapidly being destroyed, fragmented or invaded by non-native species. We found that from a study area of 32,000 ha, there was a net loss to urbanization of 1734 ha of wetlands (23% of the original) and 1417 ha (9%) of agricultural, forest and shrub land cover types between 1975 and 2000. From the total area urbanized (3151 ha), 55% corresponded to wetlands and 45% to agricultural, forest and shrub lands cover types. We see the lack of environmental awareness as a major cause of the increasing deterioration of biodiversity in urban areas of developing countries. More research is needed to fully understand the effects of urban sprawl on the biodiversity of developing countries to include these ecosystems in global conservation strategies.