Ecological Sense Research Articles

Early postglacial hunter-gatherers show environmentally driven “false logistic” growth in a low productivity environment

Studies that employ probability distributions of radiocarbon dates to study past population size often use exponential increase in radiocarbon dates with time as a standard of comparison for detecting population fluctuations. We show that in the case of early postglacial interior Scandinavia, however, the summed probability distribution of radiocarbon dates has best fit with a S-shaped logistic growth curve. Despite the logistic growth model having solid grounding in ecological theory, we further argue that what our data indicate is not logistic growth in the population ecological sense but “false logistic” growth that mainly follows from climatic and environmental forcing. In the initial postglacial phase, 9500–7500 BCE, human settlement was located almost exclusively along the Scandinavian Atlantic coast and the use of the mountainous interior remained low. Thereafter the formation of separate inland adaptations resulted in population growth in tandem with increasing climatic warming and environmental productivity. Some millennia later, when environmental productivity started to decrease after the Holocene Thermal Maximum, hunter-gatherer population size in interior Scandinavia reached a plateau that lasted at least 2000 years. Lowering productivity prevented any population growth that would be detectable in the available archaeological record.

Textures of ecology: A flat ontology of things in Zachary Epcar’s Return to Forms

This article analyses Return to Forms with regard to Levi R. Bryant’s flat ontology, which eliminates any degree of hierarchy between things. Foregrounding the entanglements of different textures, Zachary Epcar’s haptic and sonic experiment echoes Bryant’s object-oriented philosophy and calls for a radical ecological sensibility through assembling the manifold fabrics of everyday life with an unusual tone. In this new materialist outlook, human and non-human, actual and virtual, body and matter coincide.

Tomato Production under Synergistic Application of Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria and Phosphate Amendments

Phosphate solubilizing bacteria have multi-dimensional benefits in broad host range interaction, accessing nutrients, phytohormone induction, stress alleviation, biocontrol activity, and eco-friend approach. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of PSB isolates coinoculated with compost, bone meal, and DAP fertilizer on tomato growth response. Tomato seeds were treated with 10 selected PSB isolates separately and grown for 20 days on seedbed, then transplanted to field that was treated with external P-sources and enriched by PSB inoculum. PSB isolates showed positive interaction and achieved significant plant assays including plant height, leaves, branches, flowers, and fruit development. Isolate K-10-41 significantly promoted tomato plant height, floral development, and fruit yield, Mk-20-7 enhanced height and fruit weight whereas K-10-27 induced tomato fruit numbers. Compost application promoted tomato-PSB interaction and induced tomato vegetative growth whereas bone meal was least promotor for most of tomato plant assays. Bone meal was however, one of the top fruit development inducers (harvested 20.94 fruits/plant weighing 881.97 gm). Mixing 50% of recommended compost and DAP fertilizer application enhanced tomato vegetative growth and fruit yield (21 fruits/plant harvested that weighed 872.46 gm). Based on the overwhelming performance, K-10-41 and Mk-20-7 application together with compost and fertilizer mixture were found effective. Therefore, the results of this study imply that application of competent PSB isolates together with nutrient supplements improved symbiotic effectiveness, sustainable production, and environmental health. Consequently, these promising isolates would be recommended for tomato production of higher yield and sustainability after verifying their efficacy at different agroecology and taxonomic identification. Screening potential strains and evaluating their competence under different conditions would be the future perspectives to develop efficient inoculants. Moreover, synergetic application of organic supplements (compost, farmyard, bone meal, or other biowastes), bioinoculants, and proper agrochemicals maximize production and environmental health and is feasible for the economic, social, and ecological sense of balance.

프로젝트 기반 학습을 적용한 생태전환교육이 특수학교 발달장애 고등학생의 생태감수성 및 생태시민성에 미치는 영향

연구목적: 본 연구는 프로젝트 기반 학습을 적용한 생태전환교육이 특수학교 발달장애 고등학생의 생태감수성과 생태시민성에 미치는 영향을 알아보았다. 연구방법: 연구참여자는 서울특별시 소재 A 특수학교에 재학중인 고등학교 1~3학년 6개 학급의 발달장애 고등학생 15명과 연구자를 포함한 담임교사 6명이다. 연구자가 프로젝트 기반 학습을 적용한 생태전환교육을 고등학교 담임교사 5명에게 교육한 후 연구자를 포함한 6개 학급 각 반 담임교사가 창의적 체험활동 시간에 주 1~3회씩 총 10차시 수업을 진행하였다. 중재 후 프로젝트 기반 학습을 적용한 생태전환교육이 발달장애 고등학생의 생태감수성과 생태시민성에 긍정적인 영향을 주었는지 확인하기 위해 연구참여자의 사전․사후검사 점수 차이를 대응표본 t 검정을 사용하여 분석하였다. 연구결과: 첫째, 프로젝트 기반 학습을 적용한 생태전환교육은 특수학교 발달장애 고등학생의 생태감수성과 하위영역인 자연에 대한 관심, 정서 안정, 자연에 대한 동정 연민 영역에 긍정적인 영향을 미쳤다. 둘째, 프로젝트 기반 학습을 적용한 생태전환교육은 특수학교 발달장애 고등학생의 생태시민성과 하위영역인 정의, 참여 영역에 긍정적인 영향을 미쳤다. 결론: 본 연구는 특수학교 발달장애 고등학생을 대상으로 프로젝트 기반 학습을 적용한 생태전환교육을 실시하여 학생들의 생태감수성과 생태시민성 향상에 긍정적인 영향을 미칠 수 있다는 점을 확인하고, 특수학교 발달장애 학생을 대상으로 프로젝트 기반 학습 및 생태전환교육의 적용 가능성을 제시한 점에서 의의가 있다.

Bleached broilers and divine fowls: The ritual economy of chickens in a South Indian city

Commercial poultry operations are booming as demand for chicken soars in 21st‐century India. The industry relies on the models familiar from industrial countries: birds pumped with growth hormones and antibiotics designed to ensure rapid, standardized egg production and broiler meat. Nevertheless, during my fieldwork in India, locals insisted that broiler chickens were rarely used for ritual purposes. They explained that the gods were far more discerning and should only be offered the ‘country chicken’ (Natu kodi). The distinctive appearance of these ‘rural’ birds was seen to make them appropriate for ritual sacrifices, with transformative potential. Even urban dwellers seemed to prefer these much costlier indigenous birds – untouched by the homogenizing logic of industrial livestock production – especially for rituals. As I show in this essay, the ritual economy of chickens illustrates the process of ‘metabolic’ transformations, toxic entanglements and more‐than‐human encounters, as much as it reveals that of mutualism, with its vital and varied meanings tied to social relations and ecological sensibilities.

Naturalising ‘Black Spaces’ in the Mediterranean: Towards a Political Ecology of Bordering Infrastructures

ABSTRACT This paper introduces the terminology of border infrastructures as a way to enrich a multi-perspectival approach to territorial bordering processes that takes seriously their stratifying and racialising dynamics. Building on the analysis of migrant informal dwellings, or ghettos, which are increasingly constructed as naturalised ‘black spaces’ in the Mediterranean, the paper’s contribution is twofold. First, it calls for more situated research into the multiple networks, connections and agencies involved in bordering processes, which often comprise complex interactions across ‘formal’ and ‘informal’, ‘human’ and ‘more-than-human’ boundaries. Second, it proposes to foreground the socio-materiality of borders-as-infrastructures by analysing how these actively reproduce a logic of separation in both a political and an ecological sense. The article pushes forward a more immersive understanding and methodology that is able to unearth the stratifying, racialising dimensions of contemporary borderwork across and within the confines of nation-state territoriality.

Consumer Motivation behind the Use of Ecological Charcoal in Cameroon

Climate change and global warming are amplified by pollution and deforestation. For this reason, governments around the world meet every year to find ways to reduce pollution and deforestation and ensure sustainable development. The use of clean energy, particularly ecological charcoal, appears to be an appropriate solution in developing countries. The main objective of this research is to assess the motivations for the consumption of ecological charcoal in Cameroon, using a quantitative approach based on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Data were collected from 525 households in the cities of Yaoundé and Douala, Cameroon. The results show that the desire to protect the environment (ecological sensibility), the desire to reduce the energy costs of cooking (economic sensibility), the need to improve health and security, and the desire to enhance the quality of meals and to preserve the cleanliness of pots are all determinants in the consumers’ choice to use ecological charcoal. These results are refreshing. In Cameroon, in addition to its economic value, the massive consumption of ecological charcoal will contribute to a reduction in household waste management problems in cities and municipalities, while preserving the environment.

Meeting Human and Biodiversity Needs for 30 × 30 and beyond with an Iterative Land Allocation Framework and Tool

Spatial conservation prioritization does not necessarily lead to effective conservation plans, and good plans do not necessarily lead to action. These “science-action” gaps are pernicious and need to be narrowed, especially if the international goal of conserving 30% of the planet by 2030 is to be realized. We present the Earthwise Framework, a flexible and customizable spatial decision support system (SDSS) architecture and social process to address the challenges of these science-action gaps. Utilizing case study experience from regions within California, South Africa, and British Columbia, we outline the framework and provide the Little Karoo, South Africa SDSS data, code and results to illustrate five design strategies of the framework. The first is to employ an “open science” strategy for collaborative conservation planning and action. Another is that marginal value functions allow for the continuous accounting of element (e.g., habitat) representation in prioritization algorithms, allowing for an SDSS that is more automated and saves valuable time for stakeholders and scientists. Thirdly, we program connectivity modeling integrated within the SDSS, with an algorithm that not only automatically calculates all the least cost corridors of a region, but prioritizes among them and removes the ones that do not make ecological sense. Fourth, we highlight innovations in multi-criteria decision analysis that allow for both cost-efficient plan development, like representative solution sets, but also land-use planning requirements, like site specific valuation, in what appears to be a more transparent, understandable, and usable manner than traditional approaches. Finally, strategic attention to communicating uncertainty is also advocated. The Earthwise Framework is an open science endeavor that can be implemented via a variety of software tools and languages, has several frontiers for further research and development, and shows promise in finding a better way to meet the needs of both humans and biodiversity.

HELON HABILA’S OIL ON WATER AND CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE’S PURPLE HIBISCUS THROUGH THE FIRST-WAVE ECOCRITICISM LENS

This paper is an ecocritical examination of Helon Habila's Oil on Water and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Purple Hibiscus through the first-wave ecocriticism lens. First-wave ecocriticism is a strand of ecocriticism - the literary study of nature - that explores nature in its pristiness, human harmony with nature and nature conservation in literature. The paper is a content analysis of the novels at the levels of the ecology. In Oil on Water, it is realised that despite the serious theme of ecological despoliation and oil war, there exists a pleasant relationship between some major characters in the novel and the natural environment. This is in respect to the characters' attempt at nature conservation, appreciation of the beauty of nature and belief in its healing and redeeming powers. In Purple Hibiscus, it is revealed that the author shows her ecological sensibility by giving her text the title of an ecological element. The major characters in the novel exhibit their ecological consciousness by propagating and adoring the ecology. The paper concludes that the novels have captured reasonably the beauty of nature, attachment to place and ecological sensibility which fits into the philosophy of first-wave ecocriticism.

Editorial

2020 was the centennial anniversary not just of Federico Fellini, but of fellow Romagnol Tonino Guerra, whose name is often associated with Fellini but who has been significantly underappreciated in Italian film scholarship. This Special Issue of the Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies (JICMS) seeks to help redress the lack of attention given to Guerra work. He is best known in the English-speaking world for his screenwriting, especially with Michelangelo Antonioni and Fellini, and since JICMS is a film journal, the issue centres on his film work while also contextualizing it in terms of his importance as novelist, fabulist, poet and visual and installation artist. Special attention is paid to Guerra’s ecological sensibility and his fusing of local and global in a profound sense of place that is evident not only in his later artwork but in the films for which he wrote.

Az Antropocén Színháza : Koncepció, kérdések, előadások

This article explores the emergence and development of The Theatre of the Anthropocene, a unique artistic platform founded by Dr. Frank M. Raddatz and Prof. Dr. Antje Boetius in 2019. This ecological theatre operates at the intersection of art and science, aiming to depict and engage with the complex realities of the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene, a geological epoch marked by human influence on Earth, necessitates a scientifically informed theatre to convey the intricate interplay between human activities and the planetary ecosystem. The article delves into the theoretical foundations of this theatre, drawing on Bruno Latour’s critique of ecological disasters rooted in deficient epistemic concepts. It contrasts this with Bertolt Brecht’s scientific theatre and emphasizes the need for a transformation in the science stage to address contemporary environmental challenges. The role of feedback loops and the recognition of non-human entities as independent subjects in an Anthropocene aesthetic are central themes. The article also explores the potential of a spectral aesthetic, emphasizing the hybrid nature of the phenomena addressed, and presents the example of the production Lawyers of Nature. Furthermore, it discusses the urgent task of developing an ecological sensibility through art to instigate changes in societal attitudes toward planetary conditions.

Genetic time traveling: sequencing old herbarium specimens, including the oldest herbarium specimen sequenced from kingdom Fungi, reveals the population structure of an agriculturally significant rust.

Sequencing herbarium specimens can be instrumental in answering ecological, evolutionary, and taxonomic inquiries. We developed a protocol for sequencing herbarium specimens of rust fungi (Pucciniales) and proceeded to sequence specimens ranging from 4 to 211 yr old from five different genera. We then obtained sequences from an economically important biological control agent, Puccinia suaveolens, to highlight the potential of sequencing herbarium specimens in an ecological sense and to evaluate the following hypotheses: (1) The population structure of a plant pathogen changes over time, and (2) introduced pathogens are more diverse in their native range. Our efforts resulted in sequences from 87 herbarium specimens that revealed a high level of diversity with a population structure that exhibited spatial-temporal patterns. The specimens sequenced from Europe showed more diversity than the ones from North America, uncovering an invasion pattern likely related to its European native host in North America. Additionally, to the best of our knowledge, the specimen from France collected in c. 1811 is the oldest herbarium specimen sequenced from kingdom Fungi. In conclusion, sequencing old herbarium specimens is an important tool that can be extrapolated to better understand plant-microbe evolution and to evaluate old type specimens to solidify the taxonomy of plant pathogenic fungi.

Flora of the Vidlič Mt (Southeastern Serbia)

The flora of the Vidlič Mt, which is relatively spacious limestone massif, located mostly in Southeastern Serbia, was studied. The vascular flora was investigated in the period 2003 – 2013. Based on the analysis of the collected material during field studies, and data from the literature, it was noted that the flora of Vidlič Mt is represented by 1264 species and subspecies, distributed in 55 orders, 93 families and 444 genera of plants. The majority of plant taxa belongs to the Euroasian area type (42%) followed by taxa of the Mediterranean- Submediterranean area type (20%). The biological spectrum of the flora in the study area was shown, and it was compared with the biological spectrum of the flora of Serbia, Balkan Peninsula, Mediterranean region and temperate zone of Europe. Vidlič Mt is characterized by high presence of hemicryptophytes (46%), which fits into the range of Serbian flora, and it is closer in ecological sense to the floras of the temperate zone. In the flora of Vidlič Mt, the 25 balkan endemic taxa were recorded, which is 8.71% of the total number of balkan endemic taxa in Serbia.

Representations of Indian Ocean Ecologies, Heritage and Kinship in Banaadiri Fishing Poems and Owuor's The Dragonfly Sea

ABSTRACT This article brings Yvonne Owuor’s 2019 novel The Dragonfly Sea into conversation with nine Banaadiri fishing poems called geeraarro, a form of classical Somali oral poetry in the maanso category. I explore the ways in which ideas of labour, kinship, and cultural heritage are presented in the fishing poems created over generations by an Indian Ocean coastal community as compared to a novel based on an Indian Ocean Island community, written by a Kenyan writer, and published by a major US publishing house. Working through oral narrative structures, the novel and the poems explore the relationship between littoral communities and Indian Ocean ecologies. I model how the comparative analysis of radically different forms of literature can illuminate the relationship between story, poetry and ecological sensibility. It breaks down the barriers between orality and literacy through the use of a range of analytical approaches including close reading, close listening, textual and performance analysis.

Spiritual Foundations for an Ecologically Sustainable Society

This article takes a broad macroevolutionary approach to our changing relationship to Nature in the light of the teachings or the Bahá’í Faith. It suggests that humanity is in a process of evolving consciousness leading to the development of a new planetary culture based on spiritual principles. In an ecological sense, humanity has in many respects appeared to be a delinquent species running out of control. Within a larger vision of humanity’s spiritual and social evolution, however, the present environmental crisis and the race’s reaction to it can be seen as portending a momentous transformation. The process of evolving consciousness that can be discerned in emerging knowledge in physics, ecology, psychology, and other fields of science is leading to the possibility of a mature cooperative relationship between humanity and the ecosphere which gave it birth. After a brief overview of the current range of responses to environmental issues and the view of Nature on which they are based, this article will explore the basic attitudes to Nature contained within the Bahá’í writings. The second part of the article examines how the emergence of an ecologically sustainable social order is linked to basic principles of the Bahá’í Faith. Implicit throughout is the Bahá’í view of the balance and cohesion of material and spiritual realities.
 * An earlier version of this article appeared in the Journal of Bahá’í Studies 2.1 (1989): 33–57. A special pamphlet version was co-published with the Bahá’í International Community–Office of the Environment and was distributed at the 1992 Earth Summit in Brazil. The updated version in this issue was prepared for Bahá’í World Yearbook 1992-93.

Natural and human factors influencing urban particulate matter concentrations in central heating areas with long-term wearable monitoring devices

In northern China, central heating, as an important source of urban particulate matter (UPM), causes more than half of the air pollution during the heating season and has significant spatial-temporal heterogeneity. Owing to the limitations of stationary air monitoring networks, few studies distinguish between heating/non-heating seasons and few have been conducted in urban areas. However, fixed monitoring cannot accurately capture the dynamic exposure of residents to UPM, and there is a lack of comprehensive evaluation of the factors affecting UPM. Therefore, this study used wearable Sniffer 4D equipment to monitor the concentrations of UPM (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10) in selected typical areas of Shenyang City from March 2019 to February 2020. A random forest model was combined with land use and point-of-interest data to analyze the contributions and marginal effects of multiple influences on UPM, in both heating and non-heating seasons. The results showed that in the eastern part of the study area, UPM showed completely opposite spatial distribution characteristics during the two seasons. The concentrations of UPM were higher during the heating season than during the non-heating season. The results indicated that temperature and humidity were important factors in diffusing UPM. The production and operation of boilers were important for the production of UPM. In two-dimensional landscape pattern indices, the percentage of forest and Shannon diversity index were the first and second most important factors, respectively. The three-dimensional pattern of buildings had important effects on the transport and diffusion of UPM (landscape height range >100, floor area ratio >1.3, and landscape volume density >5). Wearable devices could monitor the real situation of residents’ exposure to UPM and quantify the factors influencing the spatial-temporal distribution of UPM in an ecological sense. These results provide a scientific basis for urban planning and for health risk reduction for residents.

New genres and obsolete expertise in the new textiles economy

ABSTRACT This paper examines the role of distinctions between genres in conflicts over expertise in an American textile mill. Riverway is a struggling 150-year-old New England textile mill where members of a diverse workforce focus on producing high quality fabric in a context that demands daily adaptive expertise. Based on fieldwork from 2015–19, we examine how Riverway workers interacted with documentation systems at the mill. They engaged with managers and coworkers around new forms of technology and shifting valuations about skill and expertise, and, in the process, made sense of their roles as workers in a declining industry where their skills and forms of expertise were nearly obsolete. Through analysis of conflicts in the mill, we examine how members of the mill's community of practice made sense of a changing genre ecology of tools for communicating, recording information, communicating asynchronously, and asserting expertise. We show how technologies for making fabric and communicating about fabric production became symbols of valuations tangentially linked to production. These technologies became lightning rods for debates about expertise, skill, and knowledge, and for everyday distinctions that workers and managers made about the value of their work during a time of economic change marked by mill closures.

Sustainable machining of Hastelloy C-276 enabling minimum quantity lubrication of environmentally compatible lubricants

Present industrial scenario attempts to achieve the sustainable manufacturing goal considering economic viability, ecological vulnerability, technological suitability and social acceptability. Also, in current manufacturing paradigm, the machining of fatigue resistance material like Hastelloy C-276 possessing vast applications in aerospace, nuclear and petroleum industries is still challenging. Consequently, leads to uneconomical process and degradation of environment during dry machining and conventional lubrication methods. The present investigations have been focused on economic and ecological sense of machining Hastelloy C-276 with reference to tool damage, surface roughness and lubrication action using different lubricating oils. The flash point, viscosity, and pH values of different oils have been measured using Pensky Marten apparatus, Fann viscometer, measuring strips and a digital pH meter. Additionally, the appearance, odour, and flow ability have been examined physically. The experimental results depicted that surface roughness has been improved by 1.5–62% during vegetable oil and 22% in used oil compared to synthetic oil at lower range of machining parameters. However, at higher levels of process variables, synthetic oil performed better than used oil by 29.2%–98.9% respectively. SEM micrograph indicated 26.17%–50% lower flank wear during vegetable oil compared to synthetic oil. However, Synthetic oil has reduced the tool wear by 3.7%–61.74% than used oil. Further, the coefficient of friction among three oils has varied from 17 to 22.5% manifesting that used oil have considerable lubrication effect. Moreover, the ANOVA analysis revealed that feed rate and lubricant type have an appreciable impact on shear angle and coefficient of friction with maximum percentage error of 3.03% and 6.38% respectively. Finally, minimum quantity lubricant (MQL) of vegetable and synthetic oil has offered a sustainable perspective due to excellent machining performance, better work place conditions, and high-tech lubrication methodology.

A Study on the Development of Convergence Liberal Arts Subject Based on Ecological Literature

Ecological literature fundamentally has a convergence nature in that it combines “ecology” and “literature.” Its significance has been highlighted anew in the recent COVID-19 pandemic situation. This study aims to analyze liberal arts subjects related to ecological education and examine their achievements and limitations, thus proposing a new convergence liberal arts subject.</br>For these purposes, the investigator analyzed “The Environment and Humanities” at S University and “A Future Environment and Risk Society” at D University. Both the subjects have huge significance in that they are designed to be integrated with various academic areas for study. “The Environment and Humanities” leaves room for improvement as it may not help students themselves integrate each content piece fully organically. “A Future Environment and Risk Society” has concerns with the possibility that the success and failure of its lecture can be determined by the abilities and levels of subject developers.</br>The study proposed a tentative subject “Ecological Crises in Ecological Literature” to solve these problems. In the former part, it covers sequentially seven topics related to an ecological crisis including water quality, atmosphere, soil, nuclear weapons, criticism of civilization, apocalyptic future, and life. In the latter part, it selects a work related to one of the seven topics for each team, analyzes its content, and proposes ways to overcome an ecological crisis in it. The lectures in Week O, for instance, will help students cultivate their natural science knowledge and recognize the reality of water contamination via various media based on Lee Hyeong-gi's <i>BOD PPM</i> and then provide discussion and debate activities to analyze <i>Bhêchadjaguru Shall Not Come</i> by Choi Seong-gak and find fundamental alternatives. Such activities are expected to help students develop their ecological sensibility and embody ecological ethics.

Plastic and Queer Desire — A Queer Ecological Reading of Josef Winkler’s Contemporary Writing

This paper examines the relationship between plastic matter and the queer in Roppongi. Requiem für einen Vater (2007) and Der Stadtschreiber von Kalkutta (2019), two texts by contemporary Austrian author Josef Winkler that depict the narrators’ travels to India and Japan. Two modes of critique within queer ecological theory are found to be fruitful for the analysis of Winkler’s text: a ‘queer as noun’ model focusing on queer people, here the narrator and his relationship to the environment, as well as the ‘queer as a verb’ critique, questioning and defamiliarizing foundational categories such as humanity and futurity. Based on Heather Davis’ invitation to imagine plastic, rather than biological children, as our planetary legacy, the function of plastic matter and its potential to question inside-outside dichotomies and divisions such as human vs human-made or waste vs nature are discussed. Despite a near dystopian vision on India, Winkler’s work also conveys a ‘queer desire’ — a desire that cannot undo the effects of plastic’s omnipresence or its participation in waste colonialism, but suggests ways of living with plastic. The work is permeated with what Davis calls ‘a queer ecological sensibility’, which instead of yearning for a pristine past offers a curious and openminded perspective on the present.