Ecological Definition Research Articles

Экология техносферы человеческого сообщества

In the 19th century, the sphere of interest of the science of “ecology” was formulated. Over the course of a century and a half, the semantics of its tasks has undergone significant changes. However, the original definition of ecology given by E.G. Haeckel, as a science about the interaction of living and inanimate nature, has again become relevant with the technological development of mankind. This development led to the emergence of an alternative habitat - the technosphere. The technosphere, within the framework of environmental ideas, is considered as a formation deeply hostile to nature in its essence. Nature is considered as a certain ideal that creates favorable conditions for the existence of living organisms in it. The experience of natural disasters and cataclysms, accompanied by the mass death of living organisms, indicates that this is an idealized idea. The existence of modern man outside the technosphere is practically impossible. The techno-sphere takes on the task of providing humanity with protection from pathogens. An example of such control is the use of DDT against vectors of malaria and other diseases. The technosphere solves problems in relation to humanity that are similar to providing the body with food, solving the problems of energy supply and movement over various distances – both people and cargo. The technosphere is evolving, using the achievements of developing sciences and technologies, reducing the specific impact on the natural environment while meeting the needs of the individual. For the further development of human ecology at the intersection of natural and artificial, the solution of traditional management problems is required: strict control of raw materials, technologies and products used, and their rational distribution. This is important since the human population is steadily growing and a significant part of the planet’s population finds itself in conditions of food and energy shortages, while the other part has an abundance of resources.

Does Urban Green Space Pattern Affect Green Space Noise Reduction?

The effect of urban green spaces on traffic noise reduction has been extensively studied at the level of single vegetation, hedges, etc., but there is a lack of corresponding studies at the scale of spatial patterns of urban green spaces. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the relationship between the spatial pattern of urban green space and the change in green space’s noise reduction capacity. Through the morphology spatial pattern analysis method, this analysis divides the urban green space in the Fuzhou high-tech zone into seven types of elements with different ecological definitions and simulates the noise condition of the urban environment with the presence of green space as well as without the presence of green space by computer simulation, calculates the distribution map of the noise reduction produced by the urban green space, and analyzes the correlation between the seven types of green space elements and the noise reduction with the geographically weighted regression modeling analysis. The study finds that (1) Urban green space patterns can significantly affect the net noise reduction of green space. Areas with high green coverage can produce a stronger green space noise reduction effect. (2) More complex green space shapes and more fragmented urban green space can produce higher noise reduction. (3) The green space close to the source of noise can exert a stronger noise reduction effect. Therefore, in the process of planning and design, from the perspective of improving the urban acoustic environment, the configuration of high-quality green spaces in areas with higher levels of noise pollution should be given priority, which may have better noise reduction effects.

Foucault and Ecology

On the basis of a definition of ecology centred on Merleau-Ponty's thought, this essay examines the various phases of Foucauldian thought and their respective relationships to possible ecological outcomes: the Dionysian phase, which lasts until The Order of Things; the microphysics of power phase, in which a philosophy of the will that radically breaks with any idea of the original becomes central; and the late Foucault phase, characterised by the themes of the hermeneutics of the self, subjectivity and critique. In the latter period in particular, in which Foucault's rapprochement with Canguilhem and the idea of a living being immersed in a dialectical relationship with the environment and with others is very strong, a model is identified that is particularly amenable to interpretation in ecological terms. The essay concludes with some research hypotheses on the possible relationship between a philosophy of the will, such as that mediated by Foucault from Nietzsche and Schopenhauer, and ecology.

The climate niche of Homo Sapiens

The increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases will place humans in climates that are unprecedented in the evolution of the species. I use the ecological definition of the human niche in climate space, and combine this with a new constellation of methods from extreme value statistics to study human occupation near the boundaries of that niche. I find that the temperature distribution has a thin tail whereas the tail of precipitation is thick. This thick tail reflects that humans are used to a wide range of rainfall regimes, so future precipitation changes, although leading to unprecedented rainfall, are less likely to pose a major challenge. An increase in temperature, on the other hand, will put hundreds of millions of people in heat that is not just unprecedented and but also hard to imagine from extrapolating current temperatures. These findings are qualitatively similar but an order of magnitude smaller than previous studies.

Let's Print an Ecology in 3D (and 4D).

The concept of ecology, historically rooted in the economy of nature, currently needs to evolve to encompass the intricate web of interactions among humans and various organisms in the environment, which are influenced by anthropogenic forces. In this review, the definition of ecology has been adapted to address the dynamic interplay of energy, resources, and information shaping both natural and artificial ecosystems. Previously, 3D (and 4D) printing technologies have been presented as potential tools within this ecological framework, promising a new economy for nature. However, despite the considerable scientific discourse surrounding both ecology and 3D printing, there remains a significant gap in research exploring the interplay between these directions. Therefore, a holistic review of incorporating ecological principles into 3D printing practices is presented, emphasizing environmental sustainability, resource efficiency, and innovation. Furthermore, the 'unecological' aspects of 3D printing, disadvantages related to legal aspects, intellectual property, and legislation, as well as societal impacts, are underlined. These presented ideas collectively suggest a roadmap for future research and practice. This review calls for a more comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted impacts of 3D printing and the development of responsible practices aligned with ecological goals.

Assessing the analytical reliability of traditional and novel sampling methods for the study of flower rewards quality

AbstractPollinator insects are declining worldwide also due to the alteration of their diet which plays a pivotal role in influencing their health status. Despite interspecific and intraspecific diversity in the diet, pollinators completely or partly rely on pollen and nectar as food sources. A precise characterization of the chemical composition of these flower resources represents a key step in the definition of pollinators' nutritional ecology. However, pollen and nectar represent challenging sources to collect and analyze, especially due to their small amounts per flower, and the application of suitable sampling and analysis tools is a pivotal step to perform dedicated studies and comparisons. Here, we compared a recently proposed tool based on a portable vacuum cleaner for floral pollen collection (E‐PoSa, i.e., Electronic Pollen Sampler) with traditional pollen sampling methods (i.e., anther collection and anther sieving) together with the evaluation of different nectar sampling techniques (i.e., centrifugation, microcapillaries, washing, and microrinsing) by looking at the differences in their quantitative recovery as well as their chemical profiling. Pollen and nectar were collected from three model flower species each. Our results demonstrated that different collection methods introduce biases in the nutritional profiling of floral rewards and specifically: (1) underestimation of the pollen protein and lipid content in the anther collection method; (2) reduction in the volume of recovered nectar by centrifugation; (3) overestimation of the glucose content in the nectar collected by flower washing and underestimation of the glucose content by microrinsing; and (4) relevant biases in the phytochemical profiles of pollen and nectar by analyzing the whole anthers and the nectar collected by washing the entire flower. Differences in methods were not directly related to the different productivity of pollen and nectar across species. The final goal of the study is to propose standardized, comparable, and easily accessible strategies for the study of flower resources that ultimately impact on pollinators' nutritional ecology. Acknowledging the potential influences of the sampling techniques and moving toward shared field protocols will advance the comprehension of species interactions, foraging patterns, and pollinators' nutritional needs.

Differentiating spillover: an examination of cross-habitat movement in ecology spillover in ecology.

Organisms that immigrate into a recipient habitat generate a movement pattern that affects local population dynamics and the environment. Spillover is the pattern of unidirectional movement from a donor habitat to a different, adjacent recipient habitat. However, ecological definitions are often generalized to include any cross-habitat movement, which limits within- and cross-discipline collaboration. To assess spillover nomenclature, we reviewed 337 studies within the agriculture, disease, fisheries and habitat fragmentation disciplines. Each study's definition of spillover and the methods used were analysed. We identified four descriptors (movement, habitat type and arrangement, and effect) used that differentiate spillover from other cross-habitat movement patterns (dispersal, foray loops and edge movement). Studies often define spillover as movement (45%) but rarely measure it as such (4%), particularly in disease and habitat fragmentation disciplines. Consequently, 98% of studies could not distinguish linear from returning movement out of a donor habitat, which can overestimate movement distance. Overall, few studies (12%) included methods that matched their own definition, revealing a distinct mismatch. Because theory shows that long-term impacts of the different movement patterns can vary, differentiating spillover from other movement patterns is necessary for effective long-term and inter-disciplinary management of organisms that use heterogeneous landscapes.

An interdisciplinary conception of human-wildlife coexistence

Human-wildlife coexistence is a pressing worldwide concern with significant impacts on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Despite the growing interest in coexistence research and practice, recent analytical attention remains fragmented, inconsistent, and of questionable practical use. To address this, we draw on the integrative framework of policy sciences to clarify coexistence concepts. The term “coexistence” is currently used with various interpretations, such as a desirable state, a factual occurrence, or a conservation approach. We adopt the classical ecological definition of coexistence and view human-wildlife coexistence as a multispecies social process that involves diverse interactions between human and non-human actors. We propose a typology of coexistence that can be applied to human-wildlife and human-human interactions across different contexts. We categorize the factors that condition coexistence into two groups: the behavioral predispositions of actors, which we conceptualize as a physical-physiological-psychological complex, and the environmental circumstances of interactions, which we conceptualize as a natural-social-cultural nexus. These interactions involved in coexistence are characterized by impermanence and inter-determination. We use the example of human-snow leopard interactions on the Tibetan Plateau in China to illustrate our points. To better understand and address coexistence challenges, we recommend that conservationists take an integrative approach that is problem-oriented, contextual, self-reflective, and multi-method.

The 4th Industrial Revolution Brings a Change in the Design Paradigm for New and Retrofitted Buildings

The Fourth Industrial Revolution forms a smart grid with diverse sources of energy through the interconnectivity of data. Buildings that were previously the biggest users of energy are now becoming energy producers. Yet, buildings are also continually changing. The ecological definition of buildings, in addition to the building itself, includes solar panels and geothermal energy storage. The need for decarbonization and energy-efficiency brought about the implementation of heat pumps in buildings. The most economic type of heat pump is a water-sourced heat pump with hot and cold tanks or a connection to the District Energy System. Monitoring using building automatics allows HVAC optimization in the occupancy stage. Until the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the EU and the US differed in their air handling methodology, but the pandemic showed the limitations of both approaches and led to the creation of a new, integrated approach. These new ventilation systems, based on filtration instead of dilution, come together with decarbonization and the demand for new and retrofitted buildings to be smart, have zero emissions and excellent indoor environments, and be affordable. To fulfill these conditions, design teams must extrapolate experience with passive houses and introduce expertise in building automatic controls (BAC). The authors analyze the heating cooling and ventilation aspects of dwellings in a technology called Ecological Thermo-Active (ETA) technology that can also be applied to the interior retrofitting of buildings, including those with historic facades. The building “with classic form and ultramodern function” is an example of this changing design paradigm.

The evolution of the concept of sensory ecology and the influence of behavioral ecology

The science of sensory ecology formally emerged in the book of Ali (1978), when behavioral ecology was gaining popularity. Until 2020, three main books were written on the subject, in 1992 (Dusenbery 1992), 2001 (Barth & Schmid 2001) and 2013 (Stevens 2013). The definitions of sensory ecology provided by Ali emphasize adaptation, optimality and fitness. These are main concepts of behavioral ecology but the last two are not necessarily fundamentals of sensory ecology. Here I looked at the evolution of the concept of sensory ecology and tried to understand whether there is evidence that the definitions given in 1978 had been influenced by behavioral ecology. I have counted the appearances of these three words (adapt*, optim* and fitness) in these books, divided by the number of words in each book, and compared the numbers to the definitions of sensory ecology given. Authors in Ali´s book often use adaptation but seldom deal with optimality or fitness. I suggest that the appearance of these keywords of behavioral ecology in the definitions of sensory ecology in Ali´s book was maybe a necessity to fit in the paradigms of that time. Sensory ecology was actually mechanistic in 1978 and 1992. Sensory ecology is now both mechanistic and evolutionary.

Ecology as a Systemic Science

"The work discusses the two revolutions which took place in the study of the living world, both caused by a change of vision concerning the way this world is organized. The first revolution started when scientists became aware of the fact that organisms were not isolated, but lived in communities occupying a nonliving environment. The second revolution came with the recognition of the organization of life in systems of different sizes, integrated one in another, into a hierarchy which comprises them all. The place and the role of ecology in this hierarchy are specified; a definition of ecology, consistent with the systemic approach, is proposed."

Ekolojik Ayak İzi Tarih Yazıyor: Dünya Limit Aşım Günü

İnsanlık, özellikle sanayi devrimi ile birlikte son derece hızlı bir üretim ve tüketim çarkının içine hapsolmuştur. Thomas R. Malthus’u muhtemel kıyametin en azından tarihi konusunda haksız çıkaran teknolojik gelişme ve üretim artışları, artmakta olan dünya nüfusunu besleme kapasitesine sahipse de bugün talebe ilişkin artışlar ile insanlık fazladan bir gezegene daha ihtiyaç duymaktadır. Tabiidir ki böyle bir istek en azından şimdilik gerçekleşmiş durumda değildir. Arz ile talep arasındaki açık giderek büyümekte, kaynak erişimi problemlerini derinleştirmektedir.
 Sürdürülebilir kalkınma hedefi ile sürdürülebilirlik vurgusunu kalkınmaya/büyümeye yapan insanlık, bugün gezegenin doğal kaynakları üzerinde her çağdan daha fazla baskı oluşturmaktadır. İnsanlık tarafından oluşturulan doğal kaynak talebi; gıda ihtiyacı, hammadde temini ve karbondioksit gazının özümsenmesi gibi başlıklar çerçevesinde hesaplanmaktadır. Bu hesaplama ile Ekolojik Ayak İzi kavramına ulaşılmaktadır. Ekolojik Ayak İzi kavramı insanlığın gezegen üzerindeki baskısını ölçülebilir, sayısal bir değer olarak sunmakta ve tanımlamaktadır. Ekolojik bir ekonomi tanımlaması geliştirmek amacına hizmet etmektedir.
 Bu çalışma, tarihsel bir dönüm noktasında bulunan insanlık için Ekolojik Ayak İzi ve Dünya Limit Aşım Günü kavramlarına odaklanmaktadır. Güncel ve önemli kavramlar olarak Ekolojik Ayak İzi ve Dünya Limit Aşım Günü kavramlarının genel bir değerlendirmesini yapmaktadır. Sorunun ölçülebilir, sayısal değerlerle ifade edilmesinin küresel tehdidin anlaşılırlığını güçlendirdiği fikrinin altını çizerken gelecekte piyasa mekanizmasının üstleneceği role dikkat çekmektedir.

Opinions and Awareness of Social Studies Teachers for Ecological Literacy

The increase in ecological problems day by day leads to irreparable dangers. This situation obliges people to live in harmony with other living things and the environment. It also increases the importance of ecology science. Therefore, ecological literacy is a qualified basis for the sustainable development of individuals. As a matter of fact, it is necessary to educate students with ecological awareness and environmentally sensitive behaviors. Social studies teachers have a central role for students to care about the sustainability of life and become responsible citizens. In this research, social studies teachers' views and awareness of ecological literacy are examined. 34 social studies teachers working in different provinces of Turkey participated in this research in which qualitative research method was used. Data was collected with a structured interview form consisting of open-ended questions prepared by the researcher. The data obtained in the research were analyzed by content analysis. It has been seen that the definitions of ecology, ecological literacy, the aims of ecological literacy and the characteristics of the ecologically literate individual are similar to the literature. In addition, the teachers emphasized that an active citizen is ecologically literate and that the social studies course is related to the science of ecology. Teachers expressed views on different principles, theories, strategies, methods, techniques and activities in the implementation of ecological literacy education. In addition, teachers drew attention to the difficulties that may be encountered before, during and after ecological literacy education.

Regional Ecology Supporting Sustainable Development

Regional sustainable development is the primary goal of regional ecological research. Regional ecology aims to support sustainable development from an ecological perspective at the regional scale. In nearly half a century of the development of the discipline, regional ecology has developed into an essential branch of ecology. However, due to the complexity of regional ecosystems and ecological problems, regional ecology does not define clear research methods and research objects. This editorial sorts out the definition, research methods, and important research contents of regional ecology, including regional ecological security evaluation, regional sustainable development evaluation, regional resource analysis represented by water-food-energy relationship, and ecosystem service value evaluation.

Reconceptualizing the hyporheic zone for nonperennial rivers and streams.

Nonperennial streams dominate global river networks and are increasing in occurrence across space and time. When surface flow ceases or the surface water dries, flow or moisture can be retained in the subsurface sediments of the hyporheic zone, supporting aquatic communities and ecosystem processes. However, hydrological and ecological definitions of the hyporheic zone have been developed in perennial rivers and emphasize the mixing of water and organisms, respectively, from both the surface stream and groundwater. The adaptation of such definitions to include both humid and dry unsaturated conditions could promote characterization of how hydrological and biogeochemical variability shape ecological communities within nonperennial hyporheic zones, advancing our understanding of both ecosystem structure and function in these habitats. To conceptualize hyporheic zones for nonperennial streams, we review how water sources and surface and subsurface structure influence hydrological and physicochemical conditions. We consider the extent of this zone and how biogeochemistry and ecology might vary with surface states. We then link these components to the composition of nonperennial stream communities. Next, we examine literature to identify priorities for hydrological and ecological research exploring nonperennial hyporheic zones. Lastly, by integrating hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecology, we recommend a multidisciplinary conceptualization of the nonperennial hyporheic zone as the porous subsurface streambed sediments that shift between lotic, lentic, humid, and dry conditions in space and time to support aquatic-terrestrial biodiversity. As river drying increases in extent because of global change, we call for holistic, interdisciplinary research across the terrestrial and aquatic sciences to apply this conceptualization to characterize hyporheic zone structure and function across the full spectrum of hydrological states.

Camera Work

Camera Work

Abundance Against Scarcity

Abundance Against Scarcity

ЕКОЛІНГВІСТИЧНІ ПІДХОДИ ДО ВИВЧЕННЯ НІМЕЦЬКОМОВНОГО МЕДІАПРОСТОРУ

The article covers the concepts of media linguistics and media ecology as the leading areas of modern media studies, their terminology and issues. Different approaches to the definition of media ecology are given and its role and tasks in different spheres of life are indicated. The scientific achievements of some Ukrainian and German linguists and media experts in the field of studying the German media space are analyzed in order to find ways of positive influence of mass media on society, in particular the influence of media ecology on media competence, cultural and ethical norms, communication between all members of society. The importance of studying the strategies and tactics of the influence of the media on the consolidation and isolation processes in society is emphasized. In addition, the article provides a linguistic analysis of the coverage of one of the most pressing global problems of today – coronavirus vaccination – in the German media source “ZEIT ONLINE” in order to establish its impact on the life of German society. In particular, the most commonly used lexical items and phrases are identified, which reflect the main topics of this problem, namely: compulsory vaccination, attitude of citizens to vaccination, dismissal of unvaccinated citizens from work or even dismissal, vaccination of children, government measures to prevent coronavirus and more. It is established that the coverage of the problem of vaccination in the German media is a clear example of the isolating impact of the media on society, as this issue is debatable and causes a lot of controversy during the discussion. In conclusion, it is noted that the use of appropriate means, in particular linguistic, in the media can significantly affect social processes, both isolation and consolidation. Possession of strategies and tactics of influence is crucial for the formation of public opinion on the global problems of mankind and the direction of its life.

English

Piper multinodum C.DC. belongs to the Piperaceae family, and is known as “Jaborandi-manso”. This species has no reported botanical, chemical, pharmacological and/or toxicological scientific studies, and has restricted occurrence in degraded Brazilian biomes. The Piper genus is known to be aromatic, the essential oils (EO) obtained from different organs have demonstrated significant biological activities, and can be an important tool for chemophenetic and ecological definitions. The present study aimed to characterize the chemical profile of the EO from different parts of P. multinodum and their activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv (ATCC, 25618). The EO were obtained by hydrodistillation and characterized by GC-MS and GC-FID. Chemical composition of the volatile mixture showed a great diversity of compounds that diverged between the vegetative and reproductive parts. The α-pinene compound was identified as being the most predominant in the leaves, infructescences and inflorescences (32.49, 67.23 and 40.23%, respectively). The branches (secondary stem) showed to be rich in sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes: α-copaene (13.24%), E-caryophyllene (12.32%), α-pinene (20.34%), and myrcene (11.23%). The chemical profile of stems and roots showed a low percentage of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, but a high percentage of arylpropanoids, with E-methyl-isoeugenol (77.58%) registered in the stems and euasarone (81.34%) in the root. The antimycobacterial activity showed the highest activities recorded for the EO from roots (78.51 µg/mL) and infructescences (85.91 µg/mL). In addition to the findings related to biological activity, the determination of chemical diversification between the different parts of P. multinodum may help to understand the ecological issues of the Piperaceae family as well as to improve the chemotaxonomic knowledge of the genus Piper. Key words: Piper multinodum; essential oils; antimycobacterial activity; chemical composition.

The holobiont self: understanding immunity in context.

Both concepts of the holobiont and the immune system are at the heart of an ongoing scientific and philosophical examination concerning questions of the organism’s individuality and identity as well as the relations between organisms and their environment. Examining the holobiont, the question of boundaries and individuality is challenging because it is both an assemblage of organisms with physiological cohesive aspects. I discuss the concept of immunity and the immune system function from the holobiont perspective. Because of the host-microbial close relations of codependence and interdependence, the holobiont is more often than not confused with the host, as the host is the domain in which this entity exists. I discuss the holobiont unique ecological characteristics of microbial assemblages connected to a host in a network of interactions in which the host is one of the organisms in the community but also its landscape. Therefore, I suggest viewing the holobiont as a host-ecosystem and discuss the implication of such a view on the concept of immunity and the meaning of protection. Furthermore, I show that viewing the holobiont as a host ecosystem opens the possibility of using the same ecological definition of boundaries and immunity dealing with an ecological system. Thus, the holobiont’s boundaries and immunity are defined by the persistence of its complex system of interactions integrating existing and new interactions. This way of thinking presents a notion of immunity that materializes as the result of the complex interdependence relations between the different organisms composing the holobiont similar to that of an ecosystem. Taking this view further, I discuss the notion of immunogenicity that is ontologically heterogeneous with various causal explanations of the processes of tolerance and targeted immune response. Finally, I discuss the possible conceptualization of already existing and new biomedical practices.