Ecological Position Research Articles

Ecological Worldview Position and Personal Norms in the Regulation of Ecologically Significant Behavior

The work verifies the leading role of the ecological position (I. Kryazh) as part of the process of activating personal norms as a factor of pro-environmental behavior. The ecological worldview position is revealed through giving the “status” the main source of life support for the biosphere or money, which determines different assessments of ecological reality. To study personal norms, the modified Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration Study (I. Kryazh, 1995) was used. The sample consisted of 161 respondents. Structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques were used in testing of regulation models of pro-environmental behavior. It has been revealed that the ecological position has an indirect impact on pro-environmental behavior – through promoting pro-environmental norms and social norms of interpersonal communication. In so doing, the biospheric orientation reinforces the willingness to protect of the norm, which, in turn, enhances the assessment of the situation in which harm caused to nature or people is abnormal. Therefore, the realization of the biospheric position through the adoption of the role of defender of the norms of justice facilitates activation of the personal pro-environmental norms and so that supports pro-environmental behavior at the household. The adherence to pro-social norms of interpersonal communication has become an incentive for pro-environmental behavior at the household, if it opposed the neglect of the rights of others. When the prosocial position in interpersonal communication is just adopted under social pressure (the desire not to stand out, follow the rules of society, or unwillingness to be in the shoes of the accused), this will negatively occur on pro-environmental behavior at the household.

Strategizing sustainable development: the case of the Ural industrial regions

The remit of the article is regional development strategizing. Regional development strategy as part of regional regulatory environment could ensure the task of sustainable development due to determining priorities for resource conservation, development of a “green” economy, and restoration of natural resources. This is especially important for the extractive economies of the Russian regions. On the contrary, the research revealed the preservation of extractive policies in most of the Ural regions. The manuscript contains the description of the ecological and economic position of the regions of the Ural macroregion, that have a high anthropogenic impact on the environment because of their nature of economy. We analysed the content of the development strategies of the regions of the Ural macroregion and the issues of sustainable development. The Chelyabinsk region and the Republic of Bashkortostan didn’t include sustainable development in the top priorities. It leads them to stick their place in the tail of the National Environmental Rating of Russian Regions. Orenburg region’s strategy conclude the most quality mechanisms for ensuring environmental safety in regional strategic documents. The author highlighted the comprehension of the deep interrelationships of ecological well-being with all spheres of human life in the development strategy of the Sverdlovsk region. The regional development strategy is an important mechanism for ensuring a balance between industrial growth and environmental conservation. Therefore, the authority of traditional industrial regions of the Urals should strengthen the component of sustainable development in their strategies.

NICHE EVALUATION AND EVOLUTION PATH SELECTION OF FORESTRY ENTERPRISES IN NORTHEAST STATE-OWNED FOREST REGION

<p>On the Basis of Relevant Theory and Literature Research, analyze the development of forestry enterprises in northeast China, and establish the evaluation index system of the ecological situation of forestry enterprises in northeast China. Based on the composite weights of objective and subjective empowerment, the ecological niche and potential of forestry enterprises in Northeast state-owned forest areas were evaluated, and establishes the evaluation index system of the ecological situation of forestry enterprise in northeast China. Based on this, the ecological position and potential of forestry enterprises in the northeast of the northeast are evaluated, and the model of the evolution path selection matrix of the northeast state-owned forest is constructed. Finally, based on the development of ecological path dependence and path breakthrough, passive adaptation and initiative adaptation, the functional ecological selection of forestry enterprises in the northeast state-owned forest sector is combined with the ecological potential of the forestry enterprise, which is the economic benefit priority, ecological benefit and the three main benefits. Based on the basis of the contribution of three different forestry enterprises and the potential value of different forestry enterprises, the corresponding alternative evolution path of the functional ecological evolution of forestry enterprises in the northeast state-owned forest sector is proposed.</p>

How about integrating tree crops into your oil palm plantation?

The synergy between forest and plantation is much sought after to maintain the complex role of forest areas. Forest should be managed for its socio-economic and ecological position while land-use change tends towards maximizing economic role. Indonesia is struggling to rehabilitate most of her production forests. Many cases show that the forestlands have been converted into monoculture oil palm or rubber plantation that caused severe ecological degradation and declined forest role in ecosystem maintenance. The government of Indonesia is seeking synergy between these two conflicting land uses types. Forest Management Unit (FMU) has been chosen as a model to carry out day to day management at field level beginning in 2010. Unfortunately, majority FMUs have not been in operation due to limited information at the field level, especially about the willingness of landowners to cooperate in the restoration of the production forest. In Dharmasraya District, West Sumatra, a 33,000 hectare of remaining production forest areas is undergoing deforestation due to forest conversion into oil palm and rubber carried out both by smallholder and large scale oil plantation companies. Based on a household survey among smallholders plantation in Dharmasraya District, West Sumatera Indonesia, the paper presents farmers’ willingness to integrate timber and non-timber plants into their oil palm plantation and discusses its implication for forest management especially in forest restoration management for FMU. The study found that at this time, it is hard for the landowner to integrate a timber tree into their smallholder oil palm and rubber plantation. They value land higher for the farm than for forest. Landowners feel secure with the customary land right than statutory land rights. Hence, the study suggests FMU Dharmasraya intensify forest extension service on forest function and persuade landowners to seek a balance between the ecological and economic role of forestland. More importantly, forest ecosystem service needs a proportional monetary valuation.

Analisis Komposisi Tumbuhan di Kawasan Sabuk Hijau Waduk Palasari

Palasari Reservoir is the largest reservoir on the Bali island that serves as a water provider to meet the surrounding community's needs. The condition of the reservoir directly adjacent to the Palasari Forest makes the vegetation area around the reservoir play an essential role in maintaining groundwater reserves and reducing erosion in the reservoir area. This study aims to analyze the structure of vegetation and diversity and conservation efforts in the Palasari Reservoir green belt area. The method used is the density index, Shannon-Wiener index, the Simpson index, and the importance value index (INP) to determine plants' ecological position in a community. The results showed that the plants that had a role in the Palasari Reservoir green belt community included bananas, mahogany, and spathodea, which were demonstrated by the highest INP's ranging from 20.83%, 20.24%, and 19.80%. These three types of plants are adaptive and can reduce erosion. The value of plant diversity in the study area is moderate, with the dominance of species diversity at the tree level. Efforts to conserve green belts sustainably need to be done by increasing the number of endemic plants in reservoir areas such as pulai and bayur. Every element of society needs to watch out for it to maintain the regional identity.

Family Therapy and COVID-19: International Reflections during the Pandemic from Systemic Therapists across the Globe.

The COVID‐19 pandemic has convulsed human communities across the globe like no previous event in history. Family therapists, paradoxically, given the core of their work is with systems, are also experiencing upheaval in professional and personal lives, trying to work amidst a society in chaos. This paper offers a collection of reflections by systemic and family therapists from diverse cultures and contexts penned in the midst of the pandemic. The main intention in distilling these narratives is to preserve the ‘cultural diversity’ and ‘ecological position’ of the contributors, guided by phenomenology, cultural ecology, and systemic worldviews of ‘experiencing.’ The second intention is to ‘unite’ promoting solidarity in this isolating situation by bringing each story together, creating its own metaphor of a family: united, connected, stronger. As a cross‐cultural family practitioner, with a strong mission for collaboration, the lead author acknowledges the importance of Context – the nation and location of the experience; Culture – the manner in which culture impacts on experience; Collaboration – enhancing partnership, enriching knowledge, and mapping the journey’s direction; and Connectedness – combating isolation while enhancing unity. Since the key transmission of culture is through language, raw reflections were sought initially in the practitioners’ own language, which were translated for an English‐speaking readership. These narratives are honest and rich descriptions of the authors’ lived experiences, diverse and distinctive. The contributors trust colleagues will find these reflections helpful, validating and acknowledging the challenges of this unique period in history.

The spatial-temporal variation and convergence of green innovation efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China.

The improvement of green innovation efficiency (GIE) in the Yangtze river economic belt (YREB) is beneficial to China's green transformation and upgrading because of its economic and ecological position. Therefore, based on the slacks-based measure of super-efficiency (Super-SBM) model, the paper studies the GIE and its spatial-temporal variation characteristics in the YREB during the period 2003-2015, and analyzes the spatial correlation and spatial-temporal convergence of GIE with the exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) method and convergence analysis method. The results show that the GIE in the YREB shows an "U-shaped" change pattern in time and an extremely unbalanced development pattern in space. The areas with high GIE contribute to the improvement of overall GIE, whereas they do not exert a radiation and driving effect on areas with low GIE. Accordingly, because of the short board effect, the convergent speed of the GIE is decreasing. To be specific, the GIE keeps converging in the upper and lower reaches, except for the year 2010 when GIE in the middle reaches changed from being convergent to being non-convergent. Even though environmental policy exerts great impacts on the improvement of GIE, the lack of collaborative environmental governance leads to the non-convergent and unbalanced development of the GIE. Therefore, green coordinated development of the YREB is necessary.

Redescription of the rare European harvestman Dicranopalpus brevipes Marcellino, 1970, based on first records from Sardinia (Arachnida: Opiliones)

New records of the small, enigmatic harvestman Dicranopalpus brevipes are presented, the male is redescribed and the female is described for the first time. The species originates from Sicily, while the novel findings are from Sardinia, where it may have been introduced by man. Paedomorphic modifications such as reduced sexual dimorphism in colouration and pedipalpal morphology, regression of genital structures and shortening of the legs, appear to result from its ground-dwelling habits induced by xeric climatic conditions. Avoiding the dry and hot season, D. brevipes matures in autumn and winter and has completed its lifecycle in April. Additional information on phenology, ecology, distribution and systematic position is given.

The State's Responsibility in Forest Fires in Indonesia

The problem of forest fires becomes a complex problem and even impacts not only the domestic sphere, but also has an impact on foreign countries (neighbors). This problem arises not only due to natural factors, but also due to human factors. This is an extraordinary crime, which is constitutionally the responsibility of the state. This study aims to analyze how the concept of state responsibility in the issue of forest fires in the case approach and the concept of green constituency. The method used in this research is normative legal research premises library research data collection methods. Which shows that the government in the case of forest fires is constitutionally responsible, because Indonesia adheres to the concept of green constitution which reinforces the ecological position in the development of the nation and state.

Экология человека: современные тенденции, подходы к определению, региональное измерение

The relevance of research in the field of human ecology – both in terms of its theoretical development and further application – at the present stage of development of scientific thought is revealed in the paper. It is noted that the formation of human ecology took several scientific lines in correlation of ecology with biological and social (sociological) components. The history of human ecology is briefly described, a review of scientific views on the problems of human ecology is given, and the contribution of various sciences to the development and formation of human ecology is noted. The special position of human ecology in the system of sciences is designated. The role of medical geography for the development of domestic human ecology is described. Regional anthropoecological studies are given as an example of applied research in the field of human ecology.

The self in deep ecology: A response to Watson

ABSTRACTRichard Watson maintains that deep ecology suffers from an internal contradiction and should therefore be rejected. Watson contends that deep ecology claims to be non-anthropocentric while at the same time is committed to setting humans apart from nature, which is inherently anthropocentric. I argue that Watson’s objection arises out of a fundamental misunderstanding of how deep ecologist’s conceive of the ‘Self.’ Drawing on resources from Buddhism, I offer an understanding of the ‘Self’ that is fully consistent with deep ecology, and does not lead to the anthropocentric contradiction that Watson identifies. The paper will proceed as follows: First, I articulate Watson’s objection, and briefly discuss the traditional deep ecology position. Next, I turn to a discussion of the ‘Self’ and show that there are conceptions of human nature that are not separate from ‘Nature.’ It will thus be shown that deep ecology is not inconsistent and need not be rejected.

The Role of the Ecological Worldview Position in Coping with Problems Caused by Global Environmental Change

The purpose of the study, conducted on the sample of 293 persons, was to identify the role of the ecological worldview position in choosing the ways of coping with problems caused by global environmental change. The ecological worldview position is determined by what exactly is perceived and considered by the person as the basics of his life support: the biosphere/ecological systems or the financial and economic system, represented through commodity and money relations. Using structural equation modeling methods, the influence of the ecological position on the choice of coping strategies as responses to environmental stress was confirmed, as well as its involvement in the regulation of pro-ecological everyday behavior. It was revealed that the ecological worldview position influences the choice of both problem-oriented and emotionally-oriented strategies that allow coping with stressful environmental conditions. The way in which the ecological position influences coping strategies depends on what meanings are decisive in the perception of ecological reality. The dominance of biocentric views promotes the pro-environmental orientation of behavior, while the predominance of monetary and economic meanings enhances non-problem coping. At the same time, the positive influence of the ecological position on problem-focused coping is largely carried out indirectly through the inhibition of deproblematization-focused coping – emotionally oriented coping strategies such as reducing problems and the denial of guilt. The decisive influence of the ecological position on pro-ecological everyday behavior is carried out indirectly – through the strategy of problem solving (positive influence), as well as the strategy of de-emphasizing the threat (negative influence). The direct influence of the ecological position on behavior, as well as an influence exerted indirectly through the denial of guilt is very weak. The negative impact of deproblematization-focused coping on everyday behavior is mediated by the suppression of problem coping.

Eyewitness Accounts during the Putumayo Rubber Boom

Between 1870 and 1915 Peru experienced a rubber-boom, extending into the Putumayo River region in 1893. This huge region of Amazonian forests was controlled by the Peruvian Amazon Company (P. A. Co.). Although Peruvian, they had British company directors and a British-Barbadian workforce. Their methods of extraction generated unimaginable degrees of human and ecological violence. Roger Casement, a British diplomat, was sent on a harrowing mission to investigate these allegations made by travelers. His Amazon Journal takes precedence; however, Peruvians also responded to the situation, reporting to the Geographical Society of Lima. Included are two forgotten yet influential Peruvian explorers: the geographer Manuel Antonio Mesones Muro and the engineer Cárlos Oyague y Calderón. By highlighting some of the early debates that circulated between Europe and Latin America on the natural resources and people of the Amazon forests, the focus is to draw out textual examples of perceptions on race, environment, and early consumer responsibility. Supported by coloniality/modernity theories, it also asks whether this form of travel writing was functioning as a resistance literature to imperialism for the time. Thus, this study investigates alternative readings that might also inform twenty-first-century scholars and activists as they articulate environmentalist and even social and ecological positions.

The difficult process of adopting a comprehensive energy retrofit in housing companies: Barriers posed by nascent markets and complicated calculability

Comprehensive energy retrofits by households and housing companies have been recognised as important means for emission reductions. However, the diffusion of comprehensive energy retrofits has not been as fluent as expected. In this article, we study the Finnish energy retrofit market and comprehensive energy retrofit acquisition process through participant observation and interview methods in order to better understand the work that housing companies, as potential adopters, must carry out. The results of our study suggest that to operate in the current market, adopters must expend a considerable amount of effort in finding market actors, understanding the offerings and coming to grips with what kind of energy system would be ideal for their site. Only a handful of market actors are able to help adopters in this work and even these were difficult to locate due to their position in the energy retrofit market ecology. The study indicates that future policy should foster matchmaking between potential adopters and energy counselling services and support tighter collaboration between public and private energy sector actors.

Manihot montana, a new species of Manihot sect. Graciles (Euphorbiaceae) from the Brazilian savannas

Manihot montana, a new species of wild cassava, is described and illustrated based on material from the Brazilian savannas. We compared its macromorphology and leaf anatomy to M. paviifolia, the most morphologically similar species. In addition, we provide images of the new species, details on its distribution, conservation status assessment, phenology and comments on its ecology, morphological relationships and systematic position.

An Enigmatic European Harvestman (Opiliones): New Record and Redescription of Dicranopalpus larvatus (Canestrini, 1874)

Dicranopalpus larvatus is redescribed based on type material. Recent first findings of this rare species on Sardinia enable to provide the essential morphological characters. Original drawings are presented with emphasis on penial and pedipalpal morphology. Dicranopalpus larvatus is a small, short-legged, ground-dwelling species endemic to Italy that matures in autumn and winter and has completed its life cycle in April. Additional information on phenology, life cycle, ecology, distribution and systematic position is given.

Abyssal Deposit‐Feeding Rates Consistent with the Metabolic Theory of Ecology

The metabolic theory of ecology (MTE) posits that metabolic rate controls ecological processes. Metabolic rate is a function of organism body mass. We tested a fundamental assumption of MTE, whether resource uptake scales to metabolism, using a temperature-adjusted model of ingestion for aquatic deposit feeders, and deposit-feeding rates of abyssal invertebrates estimated from time-lapse photos. Ingestion was significantly related to body mass, with a mass-scaling coefficient near the MTE-predicted value. Our results suggest that after temperature correction, all marine invertebrates might be summarized into a single mass-scaled ingestion rate, and provide insight into the potential mechanism for this assumption. This photograph illustrates the article “Abyssal deposit-feeding rates consistent with the metabolic theory of ecology” by Jennifer M. Durden, Brian J. Bett, Christine L. Huffard, Henry A. Ruhl, and Kenneth L. Smith published in Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2564

Geographic variation in fatty acid composition and food source of the commercial clam (<em>Venerupis decussata</em>, Linnaeus, 1758), from the Tunisian Coast: Trophic links

Lake and coastal Tunisian areas are rich biodiversity habitats, although little information is available about the distribution of food sources for the inhabitant species. In this study, a fatty acid analysis was used to study the trophic ecology of Venerupis decussatac ommunities from 10 sites located along the Tunisian Coast. The richest population in fatty acids was found in S4 followed by S5 and S8, while that of S1, S3 and S10 were the least rich. Results from multivariate analysis confirmed the ecological position of the studied population based on their fatty acid composition. Our results divided the ten studied populations into three similar groups according to their ecological and geographical positions in relation to environmental parameters and food and trophic links. A principal component analysis revealed that diatoms and dinoflagellates were the predominate diets in all the sampling stations. Bacteria and urban discharge dominated the dietary source of clams from S10 and S9. Zooplankton were the preferred diet of V. decussata harvested from the two S2 and S3 lakes; although green algae, phytoplankton and detritus were absent from the dietary source of the two previous populations. Despite spatial differences, clams from the north and the south could be easily distinguished from each other, which indicates the utility of this method in the dietary analysis of different food chain links. This study proves that geographic, ecologic and abiotic factors as well as their mutual interaction should be properly investigated in studies focusing on the trophic chains of aquatic ecosystems.

Abyssal deposit-feeding rates consistent with the metabolic theory of ecology.

The Metabolic Theory of Ecology (MTE) posits that metabolic rate controls ecological processes, such as the rate of resource uptake, from the individual‐ to the ecosystem‐scale. Metabolic rate has been found empirically to be an exponential function of whole organism body mass. We test a fundamental assumption of MTE, whether resource uptake scales to metabolism, by examining detritivores accessing a single common resource pool, an ideal study case. We used an existing empirical model of ingestion for aquatic deposit feeders adjusted for temperature to test whether ingestion by abyssal deposit feeders conforms to MTE‐predicted feeding rates. We estimated the sediment deposit‐feeding rates of large invertebrates from two abyssal study sites using time‐lapse photography, and related those rates to body mass, environmental temperature, and sediment organic matter content using this framework. Ingestion was significantly related to individual wet mass, with a mass‐scaling coefficient of 0.81, with 95% confidence intervals that encompass the MTE‐predicted value of 0.75, and the same pattern determined in other aquatic systems. Our results also provide insight into the potential mechanism through which this fundamental assumption operates. After temperature correction, both deep‐ and shallow‐water taxa might be summarized into a single mass‐scaled ingestion rate.

Not (A) Part: Handmade animation, materialism and eco-aesthetic cinema

Not (A) Part is an animated film that draws attention to the decline of flying insects by working with cinematic magnification of the 16mm frame to literal enlargement of their fatalities. Influenced by Stan Brakhage’s Mothlight (1963), avant-garde and experimental film theory inform a reading of the formal, poetic and material aspects of the project. Twentieth-century materialist perspectives on the handling of film as reference to labour are brought into contemporary currency to argue that evident methods of physical contact in recent moving image practice establish ecological positions. By emphasizing contact, situated practice, self-inscription and the present tense of making Not (A) Part aligns with eco-aesthetic cinema whilst also allying with broader post-humanist discourse. The article discusses how differing animation methods bring various qualities of movement to small inanimate objects; how a distinct genre of insect animation is established; how, through the interdisciplinary collaborative process, the project, initially rooted in avant-garde film, developed into eco-aesthetic cinema; and finally how the above operations of contact cinema led to new knowledge in the field of film/animation practice.