Ecological Disaster Research Articles

ИДЕЯ ЦЕННОСТИ ПРИРОДЫ В БАШКИРСКОМ ЭПОСЕ «УРАЛ-БАТЫР»

The actualization of ecological discourse in modern research is due to the growth of problems in the relationship between man and nature both in the world and in modern Russian society, requiring the involvement of all possible mechanisms in their complex solution, including the study of everything rational and constructive in the cultural and historical heritage of each nation, including its mythopoetic folklore creativity, which it can bring real practical benefits in overcoming the consumer attitude of an individual to his environment and the formation of personal and social ecological culture. The scientific novelty of the study consists in the fact that the value dimension and the significance of the spiritual meanings of the Bashkir epic Ural-Batyr, in particular the proclamation of nature as a value, are revealed for the modern world and man, who are on the verge of an ecological catastrophe today. The purpose of the study: to consider the axiological and ecological components of the ideological ideas of the epic about the Ural Batyr. In accordance with the goal, the following tasks were solved: to identify the spiritual, moral and ecological potential of the epic Ural-Batyr; identify the key environmental imperatives of the legend; and to prove the relevance and significance of the ecological ideas of the epic for modernity. The authors used general scientific and philosophical methods: dialectical, hermeneutic, descriptive, abstraction, generalization, analysis and synthesis within the framework of the socio-cultural approach to the study of the topic and on the basis of the philosophical and axiological interpretation of the text of the epic about the Ural Batyr. These methods, in contrast to the exclusively philological analysis of epic works, the study of their poetics, the system of images, etc., made it possible to identify the spiritual and cultural meanings of the epic, the significance of its ecological imperatives for modernity. Moreover, the philosophical and ethical view of the value aspects of this work, the results obtained and the conclusions drawn about the importance of the ecological ideas of the epic for contemporaries allow us to further project the concept of “nature as value” also to other genres of Bashkir folklore and use their pedagogical potential in the educational process, in particular in the formation of the ecological culture of the individual and society.

Biogeochemical lichen indication study of formation and temporal changes of Oleksandriia Arboretum atmospheric pollution

Using the method of biogeochemical lichen indication the levels of the average long-term content of K, Ca, Al, Fe, Mg, Na, Mn, Zn, Sr, Ti, Ba Cu, B, Pb, Ni, V, Cr, Co, Cd, Se, Sb in surface air were measured on the territory of Olexandriia Arboretum and adjacent territories (Bila Tserkva, Kyiv Region, Ukraine). The purpose of the study is to determine the state and dynamics of the atmospheric geochemical field on the territory of Olexandriia Arboretum and its surroundings. The method of biogeochemical lichen indication based on the values of micro- and macroelements content in epiphytic lichens was used as a research tool. Application of the ICP-OES spectroscopy method allowed the analysis for chemical elements content of the samples of epiphytic deciduous Parmelia sulcata, Xanthoria parietina and bushy Evernia prunastri lichens collected in 2009 (20 points) and 2021 (23 points).
 In order to identify possible sources of entering of certain elements into lichens the researchers used the factor analysis method, i.e. a method of principal components with Varimax factors rotation. Six obtained factors represent: the impact of land cover (the most significant factors F1–F3) and man-made components (minor polygenetic, factors F4–F6). As a factor's number decreases, its partial explanatory variance decreases too. Factor F1 represents a common dust loading on the atmosphere with a predominance of the terrigenous component (mostly coarse-dispersed particles). Factor F1 is responsible for the dust-aerosol loading that is largely caused by the microclimatic circulation of the city breeze type thus forming a peculiar atmospheric and geochemical association that consists of chemical elements related to the building industry and building materials production. Powerful, however, local (impactful) atmospheric man-made influences manifest themselves through factor F3. Minor factors' discrimination ability reduces if a source of atmospheric pollution is less significant. Both division of factors into subfactors and noticeable temporal dynamics are observed more often. For instance, factor F4 has two geochemical sub-associations affected by the impact on the Olexandriia's landscapes of the 1990s' ecological disaster (fall-out of oil products, geochemical marker – V) and galvanic waste causing soil pollution (Zn, Mg, Cr, Ni and Ti), as well as discharges of agricultural enterprises (K). One of the peculiarities of F4 is a gradual decrease in its intensity over time. Factor F5 should be interpreted as the only load on the environment associated with galvanic pollution with cobalt being replaced by copper as a leading pollution marker. We suggest considering Factor F6 as a factor associated with oil pollution only.

Soil Microbial Communities in Pseudotsuga sinensis Forests with Different Degrees of Rocky Desertification in the Karst Region, Southwest China

Rocky desertification (RD), a natural and human-induced process of land degradation in karst areas, has become the primary ecological disaster and one of the obstacles to sustainable ecological development in southwest China. Nevertheless, the variation of soil physical and chemical properties, bacterial and fungal communities, and their relationships in RD forests remains limited. Therefore, soil samples were collected from forests under four degrees of RD (NRD, non-RD; LRD, light RD; MRD, moderate RD; and SRD, severe RD) and subjected to high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS1 genes. The results showed a significant reduction in bacterial richness and diversity, while fungal richness and diversity decreased markedly and then showed a balanced trend with the increase in RD degree, indicating that bacteria and fungi did not present the same dynamics in response to the process of RD. The bacterial communities were dominated by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexi, while the fungal communities were dominated by Basidiomycota, Ascomycota, and Mortierellomycota. The PCoA and NMDS demonstrated significant differences in microbial communities in study sites, among which the fungal communities in non-RD forest and LRD forest clustered together, suggesting that fungal communities were more stable than bacteria in RD forest. The db-RDA, Mantel test, and random forest model confirmed the important role of soil BD, pH, SOC, AN, and AP in driving microbial diversity and communities. The IndVal analysis suggested that Chloroflexi, Patescibacteria, Atheliales, and Cantharellales with high indicator values were identified as potential bio-indicators for RD forests. This study could not only improve our understanding of bacterial and fungal community dynamics across RD gradients, but also could provide useful information for the further use of microorganisms as indicators to reflect the environmental changes and ecosystem status during forest RD.

Water Quality and Flooding Impact of the Record-Breaking Storm Gloria in the Ebro Delta (Western Mediterranean)

Extreme events are increasing in frequency and severity due to climate change, making the littoral zone even more vulnerable and requiring continuous monitoring for its optimized management. The low-lying Ebro Delta ecosystem, located in the NW Mediterranean, was subject to Storm Gloria in the winter of 2020, the most severe coastal storm registered in the area in decades and one of the most intense ever recorded in the Mediterranean. This event caused intense rainfall, severe flooding, the erosion of beaches, and the destruction of coastal infrastructures. In this study, the Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 satellites were used to monitor the flooding impact and water quality status, including chlorophyll-a, suspended particulate matter, and turbidity, to evaluate the pre-, syn-, and post-storm scenarios. Image processing was carried out using the ACOLITE software and the on-the-cloud Google Earth Engine platform for the water quality and flood mapping, respectively, showing a consistent performance for both satellites. This cost-effective methodology allowed us to characterize the main water quality variation in the coastal environment during the storm and detect a higher flooding impact compared to the one registered three days later by the Copernicus Emergency Service for the same area. Moreover, the time series revealed how the detrimental impact on the water quality and turbidity conditions was restored two weeks after the extreme weather event. While transitional plumes of sediment discharge were formed, no phytoplankton blooms appeared during the study period in the delta. These results demonstrate that the workflow implemented is suitable for monitoring extreme coastal events using open satellite imagery at 10–30 m spatial resolution, thus providing valuable information for early warning to facilitate timely assistance and hazard impact evaluation. The integration of these tools into ecological disaster management can significantly improve current monitoring strategies, supporting decision-makers from the local to the national level in prevention, adaptation measures, and damage compensation.

Ecotheories, Ecotranslation and the (Re)Discovery of Travel Writings

The end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century brought awareness of ʻnewʼ threats, a ʻnewʼ normal, such as ecological disasters, species extinction, and pandemic infectious diseases. This context has impacted environmental thinking, and literature has not been exempted from these global inquiries and movements. I intend, first and foremost, to outline a theoretical overview of the main expressions and publications of what I refer to as ecotheories in Translation Studies originating from ʻperipheralʼ countries. Secondly, I will show how Brazil is undergoing an ecological shift, particularly through ecotranslation. Finally, I will address, based on internationalization projects of Brazilian universities, the recent interest and need to translate travel narratives about and in the Amazon, written in foreign languages by travelers and mostly not translated into Portuguese.

A shift in values is needed to address climate change impacts affecting communities and the environment in the Philippines

This feature essay explores the intricate symbiotic link that exists between human values and the planet's resources. It emphasizes the crucial relationship between human survival, economic growth, and environmental preservation. The Philippines, a country blessed with immense biodiversity, is highly reliant on natural resources for subsistence, livelihood, and well-being. The Philippines is at serious ecological risk due to unsustainable practices, particularly in the field of marine ecology. The growing threat of climate change only serves to intensify this approaching ecological disaster. The weight of addressing these challenges ultimately falls upon the shoulders of the youth, who will bear the consequences of the acts of the current generation. The paper highlights the importance of human activity in causing climate change impacts and emphasizes the urgent necessity for societal values to change in order to prevent looming environmental crises. It issues a compelling call to action, urging individuals and society as a whole to recognize their shared responsibility in minimizing the adverse impacts of climate change. Educational institutions stand out as significant catalysts for change, boosting environmental awareness and developing sustainable behaviors. The essay highlights the moral and just aspects of climate responsibility and the need for governments to take preventive action. The essay concludes that there is a need for collaborative, united efforts in the Philippines to safeguard and conserve the environment as a crucial prerequisite for a sustainable future to mitigate climate change impacts.

The double heterostructure photocatalyst MoS2@ZIF-67/TiO2: Triumphant modification of TiO2 and efficient removal of Karenia mikimotoi

Water eutrophication led to the occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) with the increase of urban sewage and industrial wastewater. As a periodic ecological disaster, it caused serious harm to the ecological environment (including the destruction of the food chain and the death of animals, etc.) and human health. Karenia mikimotoi (K. mikimotoi) was a kind of common algae that caused red tides, and it could produce harmful toxins. Therefore, a composite photocatalyst MoS2@ZIF-67/TiO2 (MZ/T) for the inactivation of K. mikimotoi was synthesized by a simple and easy-to-operate hydrothermal synthesis method. The MoS2@ZIF-67 nanoflowers were attached by the grainy TiO2. The composite photocatalyst MZ/T showed excellent photocatalytic performance, and the inactivation efficiency of MZ/T was up to 97.2 % in 4 h and 99.45 % in 12 h. The composite photocatalyst MZ/T could inactivate algal cells by destroying cell membrane structure, reducing chlorophyll content, soluble protein content. This study would provide a novel photocatalyst for water treatment of HABs.

ECONOMIC LOSSES FROM THE DISRUPTION OF THE TOURIST SEASON IN THE VILLAGE OF SICHAVKA OF THE LYMAN (COMINTERNIV) DISTRICT

The Ukrainian economy and the tourism sector are experiencing the biggest crisis in recent decades. Inbound tourism practically ceased to exist. Due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, the holiday season was not opened this year either on the Sea of Azov or the Black Sea. The war destroyed the holiday season by 90%. A large part of the sea coast is occupied by the enemy, and in places where there is access to the sea, the risk of shelling and mines remains. Odesa regional military administration and Odesa city hall decided not to open sea beaches - due to mine danger. The mining of the Black Sea is a huge problem for both people and the environment, now there are several hundred mines in the water area - up to six hundred and some of them are Ukrainian, stolen in Sevastopol by the Russians back in 2014 after the occupation of Crimea. Travel companies in Ukraine almost completely stopped business on February 24. Air flights stopped and hotels accepted displaced people. The tourism industry, which, according to the State Statistics Service, brought 3% of GDP to the budget of Ukraine, and according to expert estimates, up to 7%, has suffered almost the biggest losses since the beginning of the war. In addition to the absence of vacationers, losses are also caused by enemy ammunition. Russian mines hit the shores of the sea, detonating and damaging first-line recreation centers, cafes and bars. In May of this year, it was planned to allow tourists to sunbathe on some beaches and began actively offering accommodation services. However, at dawn on June 6, it became known about the partial destruction of the Kakhovskaya HPP dam The destruction of the dam led to a huge ecological disaster. As a result of the detonation, a huge area was flooded - tons of dirt, poisonous substances along with the ruins of buildings and thousands of dead animals were carried into the Black Sea. Tourists who came to the sea a few days before the explosion of the Kakhovskaya HPP witnessed frogs jumping out of the sea, wild ducks swimming, trees and driftwood. Here and there there were islands of reeds on the shore. There were green spots on the surface of the water. After what they saw, vacationers began to cancel hotel reservations en masse and returned home. At the same time, losses to the hotel business amounted to hundreds of thousands of hryvnias. Between the cities of Yuzhne and Koblevо, there are 29 tourist accommodation facilities. These are collective accommodation facilities located in the recreation area of the village. Sychivka, each of which can accommodate 200 people on average. Sychavka is a village in the Lymanskyi (Cominternivskyi) district of the Odesa region, which is located on the shore of the Black Sea. The main advantages of recreation in Sychavka are the proximity of the Black Sea, a sandy beach strip, a gentle descent into the sea convenient for children, and the complete absence of industrial enterprises. There are no five-star hotels in Sychavka, but there are several recreation centers right on the shore of the Black Sea. If desired, vacationers can rent rooms in detached houses or cottages. According to preliminary estimates, the economic losses from the disruption of the tourist season in this area amount to approximately 300,000,000 hryvnias.

Postfire damage zoning with open low-density LiDAR data sources in semi-arid forests of the Iberian Peninsula

Wildfires represent one of the major ecological disasters with significant repercussions for terrestrial ecosystems (loss of biodiversity, material damages, erosion, etc). Using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology allows large amounts of forest measurements data to be obtained, such as size of volume, biomass, canopy cover, heights, among others. It also allows to quantify some damage caused by forest fires by comparing LiDAR data point clouds at two different times (before and after fire). By correlating in situ measurements with statistical parameters from point clouds, we aim to evaluate postfire deviations in volume, biomass and canopy integrity. The aim of this study was to estimate the losses caused by the 2012 wildfire in the Public Utility Forest No.82 “Sierra de los Donceles” (Hellín, Albacete, Spain), which devastated more than 5000 ha. We used 65 plots from the 4th National Forest Inventory (NFI4) and the LiDAR data from 2009 to develop statistical models and train Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). Another independent set of 29 plots (of 14.1-m radius with sub-metric GPS) was employed to validate the regression and ANN models. The regression results showed better performance for estimating heights (R2 = 75.03%, RMSE = 28.90%), volume (R2 = 70.32%, RMSE = 37.61%) and basal area (R2 = 68.37%, RMSE = 37.18). The total biomass showed the best fit (R2 = 93.51%), but also the maximum error (RMSE = 40.08%). The worst fit result was the estimation of number of trees per hectare (R2 = 33.76%, RMSE = 30.97%). All the models were improved with neural network implementation: number of trees per hectare (R2 = 44.41%, RMSE = 26.74%), basal area (R2 = 68.81%, RMSE = 33.49%), dominant height (R2 = 75.55%, RMSE = 15.43%), volume (R2 = 61.03%, RMSE = 14.78%) and biomass (R2 = 99.21%, RMSE = 20.81%). With our top-performing models in the 2009- and 2016-point cloud data, we measured forest reductions in terms of trees per hectare, basal area, predominant height, volume and biomass. These models provided a comprehensive view of forest losses by highlighting major decreases in vegetation coverage, tree density and tree heights.

Kota Djogo: The Island that Never Was …

Abstract There is a large corpus of myths and legends about sea creatures in the maritime world, a record that portrays incredible and wondrous feats, wrecks, calamities, and disasters. In this article, I present an account of the mythological cosmology of the Endenese, a group of fearless seafarers that scoured the Eastern Indonesian seas for over four centuries. By discussing the legend of Kota Djogo, an island that disappeared into the sea in time immemorial, I reconstruct Endenese explanations for luck and uncertainty in a world plagued by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons. Going beyond the legend’s veracity, I build on the study of the narrative to show how symbolic accounts of environmental events can provide important clues to the understanding of ecological disasters. I argue that the indigenous rationalizations of uncertainty present in oral legends and myths can function as coping mechanisms that reconcile communities with the unpredictable and the ambiguous.

Negotiating Pluriversality

In this essay, I examine opportunities for re-viewing what I call, after John Law, examples of “one-world world” arguments through the lens of negotiating pluriversality. Specifically, I look at examples of arguments that placed side-by-side suggest that life will not return to what life was like in the recent past due to accumulating social crises and ecological disasters that have been increasing in both amount and intensity. What links these arguments is a one-world world presumption that we are all in this together. My approach is to disentangle and re-view the arguments separately as accounts of experiences of conjugated power relations and gray space. I propose that re-viewing one-world world arguments for purposes of negotiating pluriversality benefits from, following Achille Mbembe, “the analyst [revealing] the myriad ways ordinary people guide, deceive, and toy with power instead of confronting it directly” and, following Ariella Azoulay, remaking a “never-ending series of [constitutive] moments … into a never-ending project.” Ultimately, I argue negotiating pluriversality involves ascertaining ways communities in transformation can, as Azoulay puts it, reinvent the ways they “tie themselves together.”

Preface

It is a great honor for us, Faculty of Forestry of Hasanuddin University, to host the 3rd Biennial Conference of Tropical Biodiversity (3rd-BCTB) on August 8 - 9th, 2023, in Makassar City of South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The Biennial Conference of Tropical Biodiversity is a scientific forum to enhance science and technology, together with researchers, scientists, practitioners, and scholars to anticipate the impacts of climate change in biodiversity. This is also conducted to promote Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The 3rd Biennial Conference of Tropical Biodiversity has performed a hybrid with a live meeting at Aston Hotel and Convention, Makassar, Indonesia, and a virtual conference instead of a live meeting. The 3rd Biennial Conference of Tropical Biodiversity theme was Biodiversity and Governance for Environment Valorization to Mitigate Climate Change. This international conference involves around 88 participants from 5 countries from: Germany, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The keynote speaker was Prof. Ts. Mohd. Nazip Suratman, Ph.D. from Universiti Teknologi MARA-Malaysia. The Invited Speakers were Prof. Dr. Martin Zimmer (Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschng-Germany), Prof. Dr. Takahiro Fujiwara (Kyushu University-Japan), Dr. Peter Christiaan Speldewinde (University of Western Australia), Dr. Christina Griffin (The University of Melbourne-Australia) and Dr. Ir. Roland Alexander Barkey (Hasanuddin University-Indonesia). Oral presenters and participants, and has five sub-themes, namely 1) mangrove ecosystem as carbon sink to achieve Indonesia’s FOLU net sink 2030, 2) community partnership for biodiversity conservation: social and policy, 3) ecological risk and natural disaster, 4) global biodiversity assessment: climate change impacts for biodiversity, and 5) biodiversity and ecotourism.Participant presentations were held in 3 sessions, and each session was divided into 3 rooms. The number of participants per room was 5-7 participants with an allocation of presentations for 7 minutes/participant conducted in parallel as many as three parallel sessions. Discussions sessions were held in parallel in each parallel session with an allocation of 3 minutes per participant. The Virtual BCTB conference implementation applied the zoom meeting application provided by the Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Hasanuddin. We received 95 abstracts in total, but after the review process, the committee accepted 52 manuscripts and rejected five manuscripts because they did not fit the sub themes.On behalf of the committee of this conference, we wish to convey our appreciation to the Minister of Environment and Forestry, the Rector of Hasanuddin University, and the Dean of Forestry Faculty for their support in ensuring the conference’s success. We want to thank the PT. Vale Indonesia, Kalla Group, AAS Foundation, PT. Inhutani 1 and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry unit in South Sulawesi for their valuable sponsorship of this international conference.Finally, we sincerely thank all committee members and a volunteer team of the Forestry Faculty at Hasanuddin University, who are committed and work hard for this international conference. We also sincerely thank all parties, including session chairs, Publication Management Center (PMC) of Universitas Hasanuddin, speakers, authors, and participants who made this conference meaningful and happening. We sincerely thank you for your generous support and look forward to working with you in the future.List of Conference Committee is available in this Pdf.

Decentring critical theory with the help of critical theory: Ecocide and the challenge of anthropocentricism

Our present situation of anthropogenic ecological disaster calls on Western philosophy in general, and Frankfurt School critical theory in particular, to reconsider some long-standing, entrenched assumptions concerning what it means to be a human agent and to relate to other agents. In my article, I take up the challenge in dialogue with the idea of critical theory articulated by Max Horkheimer in the 1930s. My overall concern is to contribute to on-going efforts to decentre Frankfurt School critical theory in multiple dimensions. With the help of Horkheimer, I seek to show that this theoretical tradition has itself an important contribution to make to the endeavour. In Section 1, I argue that the methodology he advocates for critique of society offers a view of the relationship between the human mind and reality, as well as of humans with other humans, that avoids dogmatic rigidity and is hospitable towards mutual learning through engagement with other philosophical and cultural traditions. In Section 2, I consider the more specific challenge of anthropocentrism, suggesting the need for a more differentiated account of this. While critical theory is unavoidably anthropocentric in certain respects, it could avoid more pernicious forms of anthropocentrism that establish epistemic and ethical hierarchies between humans and other-than-human entities and that conceive of ethical validity as a purely human construction, with no independence of human needs and concerns.

Do “Amor duro” à “Briga de rua”: a batalha de Garret Hardin e Cordelia S. May pelo controle populacional e a eugenia na virada do milênio

ABSTRACT This essay draws on epistolary documentation, conference proceedings, and U.S. government reports to analyze the correspondence of right-wing “conservative” activists Garrett Hardin and Cordelia S. May, focusing on their obsession with population control and eugenic principles as solutions to the growing ecological disasters of the 1960s through the early 2000s. These individuals engaged in negotiations and made decisions that helped shape public support for draconian population control policies and practices based on eugenics. These sources provide new insights into how a group of influential intellectuals, financiers, and self-proclaimed environmentalists worked to build a white, elite, heteronormative, and empowered smart society for the future, despite their inability to keep population control on the national agenda.

Morphometric Parameters of the Water Bodies of Bagry Wielkie and Bagry Małe in the Biodiversity Context

The article presents the results of nature-based and geodetic query of two neighbouring endorheic borrow pits, i.e., Bagry Wielkie and Staw Płaszowski (Bagry Małe), situated almost in the centre of the Krakow city. The movements of water tables in 2016–2023 were observed (from the moment of ecological disaster in the Staw Płaszowski, in February 2016) and bathymetric maps were presented. Based on geodetic measurements carried out in 2016–2022 and direct observations of nature, documenting biodiversity of both reservoirs in 2019–2022, the authors reviewed the state of biosphere in this location. Surveying, observations and interviews allowed parameterization of both water bodies (morphometric data and bathymetric maps) and creating up-to-date database (location on maps, qualitative and quantitative elements of flora and fauna). The material makes base for further studies with the application of more advanced photogrammetric technologies and UAV technologies, which can make data contained in this publication more accurate.

The politics of eco-anxiety: Anthropocene dread from depoliticisation to repoliticisation

Eco-anxiety has become increasingly widespread in recent years. Many people are suffering from intense feelings of distress in the face of the horrors of life in the Anthropocene. This article explores the political implications of eco-anxiety. For some commentators, eco-anxiety contributes to the depoliticisation of the climate crisis. It produces fearful subjects who are unable to discern alternative socioenvironmental pathways and distracts attention from the structural forces contributing to the unfolding ecological catastrophe. I contend that this critique of eco-anxiety is mistaken. It is argued that eco-anxiety has the potential to heighten political consciousness on the climate crisis. Drawing on Jean-Paul Sartre’s account of anguish and Karl Marx’s account of alienation, I suggest that eco-anxiety, first, highlights the contingency of political life in the Anthropocene by demonstrating the variety of possible climate futures and, second, articulates a longing for a collective subject that can exercise effective political agency.

Rapid assessment of surface water quality using statistical multivariate analysis approach: Oder River system case study

Many physicochemical and biological monitored parameters must be taken into consideration to fully evaluate the surface water environmental condition. However, there are situations where a simple and rapid assessment of the poor water quality situations is critically important. This work presents a universal methodology for monitoring of many parameters simultaneously and early detection out-of-control samples in a real-time mode. The approach uses multivariate statistical quality control chart based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) model with two well-known measures of abnormal behaviour in a process or system: Hoteling's T2 statistics and Q-statistic. The proposed TQ_PCA quality index provides on-line assessment of the water sample quality, with no specific knowledge and assumptions about control limits for monitored parameters required. A water sample is assessed through the simple control chart using the PCA model established for training/reference samples. The power of the proposed index has been tested using water quality data from the Oder River, including the time of the largest ecological disaster in recent European river history. The proposed index showed excellent analysis performance for physicochemical water quality dataset from Polish stations and physicochemical and biological water quality dataset from German/Frankfurt station, confirming earlier reports. There were consecutive number of alarms reported by the statistical index, a month prior to the disaster when there were no evident changes in the individual parameters. The method presented in this study demonstrated capability of assessment of the major water quality parameters, whose changes preempt the uncommon event. The presented TQ_PCA index could be easily extended to any research involving a large dataset of monitoring parameters from any industrial chemical process.

Seeds for New Beginnings? Ecological Uncertainty, Blurry Ideology, and Speculative Design at the Universitas Symposium, 1972

Abstract In 1972, designer Emilio Ambasz (b. 1943) organized the symposium “The Universitas Project” at MoMA in New York City. The issue at stake was how the field of design should tackle the possibly irresolvable societal, political, and ecological problems of post-industrial society. Ambasz proposed a new design approach, which he named design as a mode of thought, with the aim of building a new research-education institution for design that could tackle the wicked problems ahead. In order to articulate his proposal, Ambasz turned to the speculative realm: discursive design critique, metaphysical cybernetics, design fiction, and storytelling. By critically engaging with some of the participants’ conference presentations, the article first discusses how the concept of the environment was reconfigured by the emerging ecological catastrophe. Then the article discusses ideological responses to the Universitas Project to show how the seemingly different ideological positions between French so-called “radical left” and American “right-wing technocrats” were grounded in the same; all-encompassing uncertainty and a strive for open-endedness. Finally, the article analyses Ambasz’s design fiction writing and the speculative nature of the Universitas and thereby identifies the Universitas as a rare moment in the history of design in which design stopped engaging in the status quo and turned towards a speculative future for finding seeds for new beginnings. The article re-visits the Universitas in order to support a presentist argument: that speculation, discursive design critique, and storytelling might not be sufficient methods on their own to tackle the forthcoming accelerating wicked uncertainties that lie ahead.

Threats to the Lower Section of the River after Fish Mortality in the Ecological Environment of the Oder River

This work presents a case study accompanied by an analysis of potential reasons for fish mortality in the lower Oder River during an ecological disaster in August 2022. Changes in physicochemical water quality indicators indicate that fish and benthic organism death was likely due to the creation of hypoxia. The research also highlighted the trophic threats to the studied Oder River section linked to the disaster. The disaster occurred in the upper and middle Oder River, extending to the lower stretch. A physicochemical analysis of water samples revealed that the fish and organism death in the estuarine section was mainly due to reduced dissolved oxygen, caused by the decomposition of organic matter from the upper river sections. This was reinforced by high temperatures and low water levels. The negative trophic consequences of the described ecological disaster for the lower section of the Oder River may be long-term. Over thirty years of monitoring showed threats of excess biogenic compounds, organic matter, and bacterial contamination. Despite decreasing nitrogen and phosphorus, significant phytoplankton blooms implied internal nutrient sources. Considering climate change and the poor trophic status, recurrent disasters and deteriorating conditions are anticipated. Mitigation requires continuous monitoring, limiting the nutrient input (especially phosphorus), and preparing for extreme events. Geotechnical methods in the lower river can improve oxygen levels and fish survival.

In silico and In vitro Tests of Phytocompounds Extracted from Leaves of Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng as Biopesticides Against Enzymes, Proteins and Selected Cell Lines of the Coleoptera Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabr., 1775)

The majority of synthetic pesticides have negative consequences on both the environment and human health, making insect pest management a global economic and ecological disaster. Crude extracts of phytocompounds from Plectranthus amboinicus were tested for their pesticidal effects on a certain enzyme cell line. An in silico molecular docking analysis of phytocompounds showed that the enzymes Glutathione S-Transferase (7RKA), Mytocontrial (5H3F), Acetylcholinesterase (7QAK), GABA receptor (7WGT), and DNA nucleotidylexotransferase (6GO4) interacted strongly with the phytocompounds. Usnic acid showed higher in-silico biopesticidal activity against Callosobruchus maculatus when compared to reference pesticide Dichlorvos and Malathion. A silica gel column chromatographic technique with appropriate solvent extract has been used to isolate the highly active components of usnic acid. In vitro studies revealed that, after 96 hours, The Usnic acid mean observed mortality percentage is 49.6% (24hr), 64.8 (48hr), 74.8% (72hr) and 87.2% (96hr). causes the maximum toxicity of Callosobruchus maculatus compared to the reference pesticides Diclorvos (84.6% & LC50 value 6.65 mg/ml) and Malathion (92% & LC50 value 5.62 mg/ml). Usnic acid exhibits promise as a pesticidal agent when compared to the reference medications. Consequently, these specific chemicals might offer substitute therapies that augment the traditional applications of the plants that are being studied.