Ecological Systems Research Articles

Predicting suitable habitats for the Brazilian peppertree biological control agent Pseudophilothrips ichini (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) in Florida

ABSTRACT Invasive plants are rapidly entering new ecosystems due to globalisation, increased trade, and frequent disturbances of natural habitats. Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi, known as the Brazilian peppertree, is a particularly aggressive invasive shrub in Florida, Hawaii, Texas, and California. Due to its aggressive growth and the damage it can cause to ecological systems, it is considered one of the worst upland invasive species in the state of Florida, prompting extensive biological control efforts. The classical biological control agent, Pseudophilothrips ichini, was approved for release in Florida in 2019, with over 6 million thrips released to date. However, the establishment and persistence of these thrips have been inconsistent, and little research has been conducted to understand these patterns. Here, we employ ecological niche modelling as a tool to predict suitable habitats for Brazilian peppertree and P. ichini. Ecological niche models were calibrated using location data of both organisms from their native ranges and bioclimatic data from WorldClim. These models accurately predicted the potential distribution of Brazilian peppertree (AUCtraining = 0.914, AUCvalidation = 0.913) and P. ichini (AUCtraining = 0.934, AUCvalidation = 0.918). The projections indicated that most of Florida is climatically suitable for the Brazilian peppertree, aligning with its known distribution. However, discrepancies were observed between the projected and actual distribution of P. ichini, suggesting that additional environmental or biotic factors may influence their establishment. Further research is necessary to refine these models and enhance the integration of P. ichini into pest management programmes to better conserve time, resources, and funds.

Family as Part and Whole in Mountain Communities: The Influence of Climate and Ecology on Family Structures

This article explores the concept of family as both a part and a whole within mountain communities, focusing on how climate and ecological conditions shape family structures and dynamics. Mountain environments present unique challenges, such as harsh weather conditions, limited resources, and geographical isolation, which significantly influence the way families organize, interact, and support each other. The study examines how these environmental factors foster a collective resilience among family units, emphasizing interdependence, communal support, and adaptation strategies that are distinct to mountainous regions. By analyzing the interplay between ecological conditions and social structures, the article highlights the critical role of the environment in shaping familial relationships and communal cohesion. This research contributes to a broader understanding of how families function as both individual units and integral parts of larger social and ecological systems in mountain communities.

Investigating the Constraints and Mitigation Strategies for the Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices in Erosion-prone Areas of Southeast Nigeria.

The adoption of sustainable land management practices (SLMPs) is crucial to improve soil health, and farm yield, and potentially limit the degradation of agricultural and ecological systems. However, farmers still encounter diverse challenges when trying to implement SLMPs. Research on the potential mitigation strategies to address the complex challenges to the adoption of SLMPs in the developing countries context is limited. Accordingly, this study investigates the constraints to adopting SLMPs using household survey data collected from 480 sampled farmers in erosion-prone areas of southeast Nigeria. Also, through focus groups and interviews with key stakeholders in the land sector, the study investigates the potential mitigation strategies to address the constraints. Descriptive statistics were used to explore the characteristics of the farmers, while Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyse the constraints to the adoption of SLMPs. The qualitative data collected were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The PCA result identified economic/financial factors as the principal constraint to the adoption of SLMPs. Other barriers to the adoption of SLMPs in the study area include constraints related to the characteristics of the SLMPs, institutional constraints and constraints related to land property rights. Based on the stakeholders' perspectives, financial and economic support, improved R&D, knowledge exchange and advisory system, policy and regulatory solutions, and multi-stakeholder engagement are important strategies to tackle the constraints to the adoption of SLMPs. Insights from this study could help practitioners, conservation planners and policymakers design more targeted and effective interventions to promote the widespread adoption of SLMPs.

The Affecting Mechanism of High School Students’ Family Cohesion on Positive Episodic Foresight in Jiangxi Province, China

Positive episodic foresight is the main factor influencing students’ future achievement. Therefore, how to effectively develop students’ psychological ability to experience future positive events in advance has become the focus, and cordial emotional relationships among family members are related to positive episodic foresight. Therefore, this study adopts ecological systems theory with a sample of 219 high school students from 3 schools in Jiangxi Province, China (validity rate 95.217%) to investigate the relationship between family cohesion and positive episodic foresight; the relationship between emphatic concern, water personality, and positive episodic foresight, as well as the facilitating role of emphatic concern and water personality. The results confirm that family cohesion is positively related to positive episodic foresight; emphatic concern and water personality are positively associated with positive episodic foresight; and emphatic concern and water personality have a facilitating effect among high school students in Jiangxi Province, China. This suggests that cordial emotional relationships among family members, concern for others, helpfulness, and the concept of natural humanity are determinants of enhancing the psychological ability of high school students in international classes in Jiangxi Province, China, to anticipate positive future events. In addition, high school students need cordial emotional relationships among family members, as well as caring and helpful behaviors towards others and the notion of natural humanity to adequately promote their psychological ability to pre-experience future positive events. Finally, the findings provide important insights for enhancing positive episodic foresight.

Applying PVEST to identify the diverse coping and identity resources with which DACAmented and undocumented latine students navigate their journeys to and through higher education.

Undocumented and DACAmented Latine high school graduates are enrolling in college at a low rate despite being eligible for in-state tuition in 25 U.S. states. More research is needed about the conditions that support students' journeys to and through their institutions. We conducted this qualitative study with nine Latine students who attended our small, public university in Washington to better understand how to support them throughout their educations and the inequities they confronted in K-12 schools that impact higher education experiences. Through applying the phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory in a thematic analysis of participants' interviews, we illuminated variable pathways to college, including differential access to supports and challenges in K-12 spaces, and how such supports/challenges may influence students' meaning-making and the coping strategies and identity development processes they engaged when confronting stressors in higher education (e.g., relying on strong academic identities, or, alternatively disengaging from school). Findings highlight the complex psychosocial processes Latine youth engage in throughout their academic journeys and ways to support them as they resist oppressive systems.

Aquatic Temperature and Its Ecological Systems: A Review of Knowledge and Approaches for Studying Aqua-biota Responses

Available studies directing to aquatic temperature in Niger Delta aquatic ecological systems was carefully studied and developed as a review that takes on the tempo-spatial variation in that systems, the essence of being knowledgeable in facts relating to aquatic temperature of ecological systems, the vital points in the development of aquatic temperature modelling through its measurement, anthropogenic agenda that modify the aquatic temperature, the impact of temperature changes on the physico-chemical parameters of aquatic system; and on aqua-biota. Various ways of assessing the impacts of temperature variations in aqua-biota are spelled out and aquatic temperature criteria for the protection of aqua-biota are detailed. This review paper beams on the complexity of aquatic temperature in the ecological system; the need of being knowledgeable in tempo-spatial variability, the various responses of aqua-biota to temperature thermal stress; the anthropogenic agenda that modified the aquatic temperature and the current threat to aquatic ecology systems the climate change.

Towards a unified approach in managing resistance to vaccines, drugs, and pesticides.

Everywhere, pests and pathogens evolve resistance to our control efforts, impairing human health and welfare. Developing sustainable solutions to this problem requires working with evolved immune and ecological systems, rather than against these evolutionary forces. We advocate a transdisciplinary approach to resistance based on an evolutionary foundation informed by the concepts of integrated pest management and One Health. Diverse, multimodal management approaches create a more challenging environment for the evolution of resistance. Given our permanent evolutionary and ecological relationships with pests and pathogens, responses to most biological threats to health and agriculture should seek sustainable harm reduction rather than eradication.

Navigating a Climate in Crisis through a Biomimetic Epistemology

We have entered a geological epoch where environmental change is driven primarily by human activity. The technology-centric approach to sustainable development as the dominant model of innovation in industrialized countries has led to expansive ecological degradation. This paper critiques this paradigm and builds on existing literature from environmental philosophy to propose a new model of ethical, bio-inspired architectural thinking. Though Biomimicry is often celebrated as a model for nature-inspired innovation, it can inadvertently reinforce notions of mastery over nature, a harmful phenomenon that environmental philosopher Freya Mathews calls ‘anthropocentric triumphalism.’ In response to those challenges, this paper explores the philosophical underpinnings of bio-inspired design to advocate for a transformative pedagogical model within architectural education and practice. By exploring the conflicts implicit in biomimetic processes, we aim to disentangle students’ thinking from techno-centric models and prepare them for the broader societal implications of a necessary energy shift. This exploration emphasizes the importance of cultivating a holistic understanding of ecological systems, urging designers to appreciate the intricate relationships within ecosystems rather than viewing them solely as sources of technological inspiration. By addressing the conflicts inherent in biomimetic processes, this paper calls for a more comprehensive and ethical approach to biomimicry – one that emphasizes both the source of knowledge as well as its application. Ultimately, we seek to foster a responsible relationship between architecture and the natural world, paving the way for a sustainable future that goes beyond mere imitation to encompass true coexistence.

Modeling the Mutation and Competition of Certain Nutrient-Producing Protocells by Means of Specific Turing Machines

Abstract It is very important to model the behavior of protocells as basic lifelike artificial organisms more and more accurately from the level of genomes to the level of populations. A better understanding of basic protocell communities may help us in describing more complex ecological systems accurately. In this article, we propose a new comprehensive, bilevel mathematical model of a community of three protocell species (one generalist and two specialists). The aim is to achieve a model that is as basic/fundamental as possible while already displaying mutation, selection, and complex population dynamics phenomena (like competitive exclusion and keystone species). At the microlevel of genetic codes, the protocells and their mutations are modeled with Turing machines (TMs). The specialists arise from the generalist by means of mutation. Then the species are put into a common habitat, where, at the macrolevel of populations, they have to compete for the available nutrients, a part of which they themselves can produce. Because of different kinds of mutations, the running times of the species as TMs (algorithms) are different. This feature is passed on to the macrolevel as different reproduction times. At the macrolevel, a discrete-time dynamic model describes the competition. The model displays complex lifelike behavior known from population ecology, including the so-called competitive exclusion principle and the effect of keystone species. In future works, the bilevel model will have a good chance of serving as a simple and useful tool for studying more lifelike phenomena (like evolution) in their pure/abstract form.

The Development of Economic–Social–Ecological Complex Systems in the Yellow River Basin, China

The Development of Economic–Social–Ecological Complex Systems in the Yellow River Basin, China

Resilience and Well-Being of Children in Malaysia: Towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Objective: This study investigates the resilience and happiness of Malaysian children during the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to understand their coping mechanisms compared to peers in other Asian countries. Theoretical Framework: The research is grounded in Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, which emphasizes the impact of various environmental systems on child development. This framework helps explore how families, societal and policy factors influence children's well-being. Method: A cross-national comparative study was conducted with seven Asian countries, led by the Child Research Network Asia, Japan. Participants included Malaysian children aged 5 and 7, with data collected through structured questionnaires on resilience and happiness. Results and Discussion: Findings revealed that Malaysian children aged 5 and 7 have the lowest resilience levels among the countries studied. Only 60% and 67% of these children reported feeling happy, compared to an average of 75% and 81% in other countries. The discussion highlights potential long-term impacts on development and future competencies, considering cultural differences and sample size as limitations. Research Implications: This research provides insights for Malaysian policymakers and educators on the need for improved support systems to enhance resilience and well-being, crucial for future competitiveness. These improvements align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focused on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. Originality/Value: The study offers a comparative analysis of children's resilience and happiness across Asian countries during a crisis, highlighting areas for policy intervention to improve child development outcomes.

Intertwined people-nature relations are central to nature-based adaptation to climate change.

Adaptation to climate change is a social-ecological process: it is not solely a result of natural processes or human decisions but emerges from multiple relations within social systems, within ecological systems and between them. We propose a novel analytical framework to evaluate social-ecological relations in nature-based adaptation, encompassing social (people-people), ecological (nature-nature) and social-ecological (people-nature) relations. Applying this framework to 25 case studies, we analyse the associations among these relations and identify archetypes of social-ecological adaptation. Our findings revealed that adaptation actions with more people-nature relations mobilize more social and ecological relations. We identified four archetypes, with distinct modes of adaptation along a gradient of people-nature interaction scores, summarized as: (i) nature control; (ii) biodiversity-based; (iii) ecosystem services-based; and (iv) integrated approaches. This study contributes to a nuanced understanding of nature-based adaptation, highlighting the importance of integrating diverse relations across social and ecological systems. Our findings offer valuable insights for informing the design and implementation of adaptation strategies and policies.This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Bending the curve towards nature recovery: building on Georgina Mace's legacy for a biodiverse future'.

Ecological rule of law and enterprise green innovation - Evidence from China's environmental courts.

Strengthening the rule of law is the cornerstone of ecological environmental protection. In the context of sustainable development, countries generally recognize the key role of the legal system in the protection of the ecological environment. Based on the perspectives of management, economics, and jurisprudence, this paper explores the impact and internal mechanism of the ecological legal system represented by the environmental protection court on the green innovation of enterprises. The study revealed that the ecological rule of law elevates enterprises' green innovation. The cost of environmental investment and enterprise strategy adjustment both reinforce the impact of the ecological rule of law on enterprises' green innovation. In the external environment of enterprises, the ecological rule of law on enterprises' green innovation has a more pronounced influence when Officials' appraisal pressure is high, and both the public and the government attach great importance to the environment. Within the internal environment of the enterprise, the ecological rule of law exerts a weaker force on the green innovation of the enterprise when the executives possess a low level of education, exhibits weak environmental awareness, and has a low shareholding ratio. The outcomes of this study might offer valuable insights for policymakers and enterprise managers in implementing environmental policies and in planning long-term green innovation for enterprises. Contribute to the strengthening of the legal system for ecological environmental protection in all countries.

Mathematical Symbolization in Relation to Arts and Culture

This paper stems from an analysis of a larger study that explored proficiency in mathematical symbolization and presents students’ representational fluency in using mathematical symbols concerning arts and culture. The research had the potential of revealing the conception of symbols by students, the thick line interconnection between mathematics and arts and underscoring mathematics symbols in the perspective of arts. The study objectives comprised finding out whether culture has mathematical concepts and how students conceive mathematical symbols concerning culture and traditions. The analysis made use of constructivist learning and ecological system theory as conceptual frameworks in lensing the study. The qualitative case study research design examined multiple representations of symbols among students in secondary schools and reported in light of symbols’ interconnections to the perspective of the arts. The findings of the study show that students are aware of mathematics concepts and their origin in the communities’ culture and prior knowledge of symbols contributes to challenges and tenacity in multiple representations of symbols in aspects of supportive and problematic conception. Discussion of these findings concerning performance in mathematics in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) may be owed to long-term negative effects on students’ understanding of mathematical symbolizations which in turn could impact achievement in mathematics. The study may be useful in recommending that emphasis could be put on better ways of integrating diverse cultures in the mathematics curriculum through curriculum documentation such as textbooks to enhance mathematical symbols’ conceptual understanding among students and reduce symbol cognitive load through proper pedagogical design

Wildlife policy, the food system and One Health: a complex systems analysis of unintended consequences for the prevention of emerging zoonoses in China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Philippines

IntroductionEvolving human–wildlife interactions have contributed to emerging zoonoses outbreaks, and pandemic prevention policy for wildlife management and conservation requires enhanced consideration from this perspective. However, the risk of unintended consequences...

Mercury pollution control and Marphysa sanguinea bio-response in active-capped sediment with calcium alginate/activated carbon composite.

Anthropogenic and industrial activities have released large amounts of mercury (Hg) into the hydrosphere. Hg ultimately deposits in sediments and could be re-released into the water environment, threatening the ecological system. Active capping is considered a suitable remediation method due to its relatively low cost and in-situ decontamination feasibility. Powder activated carbon (PAC) is commonly applied as an active capping material; gelation could increase PAC's particle size to facilitate separation of GAC from sediment. Nevertheless, gelation may impact the benthic ecosystem. This work prepared calcium alginate-PAC beads (CaA/P) as an active capping material to comprehend the adverse effects of calcium-alginate-gelation on a benthic bioindicator (i.e., Marphysa sanguinea). Sequential extraction procedure results indicate over 90 % of Hg in the contaminated sediments remained in the residual phase. PAC capping shows positive results with over 60 % survival and the same weight of biotas at 3 % and 10 % capping dosage. However, capping with a 10 % dosage of CaA/P lowers the pH to that below a tolerable value (7.5) for Marphysa sanguinea, impacting its survival. Overall, though CaA/P has a separable particle size (≈ 2 mm) in sediment, capping with an excess dosage (10 %) of it impacts the organism's survival.

Intersection between individual, household, environmental and system level factors in defining risk and resilience for children in Kenya's ASAL: A qualitative study.

Children growing up in arid and semi-arid regions of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) face heightened risks, often resulting in poor developmental outcomes. In Kenya, the arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) exhibit the lowest health and developmental indicators among children. Despite these risks, some children grow up successfully and overcome the challenges. However, there is limited comprehensive data on sources of risks and resilience in these children, particularly research that incorporates community perspectives and indigenous knowledge. Systematic documentation of factors influencing child outcomes is crucial for understanding the overall burden, informing policy and implementing targeted interventions. This study aimed at bridging this gap. The study was conducted in 10 ASAL counties in Kenya. Purposive and snowballing techniques were used to recruit 11 key informants per site with varied levels of involvement in early childhood development and primary caregivers. Using a semi-structured interview guide, 103 telephonic interviews were conducted between June and August 2022, involving 68 key informants and 35 caregivers. Thematic approach was used to analyze the data, using NVIVO software. The mean age of the participants was 44years (SD = 11 years). The findings, viewed through the lens of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, reveal a complex interplay of contextual factors impacting children's development. These factors range from individual and biological aspects to family, community, systemic, and environmental level, including climatic challenges. Identified risk factors encompassed issues such as young caregiver's age, low literacy, mental health issues, drug abuse, domestic violence, malnutrition, poverty, lack of paternal involvement, early marriages, female genital mutilation, drought, heat stress, and insecurity. Nonetheless, sources of resilience include breastfeeding, immunization, responsive caregiving, family and community support, higher socio-economic status (SES), cultural practices, self-motivation, hard work, community role models, religious activities and quality service provision. Urgent attention is needed to address the multifaceted challenges faced by children in ASAL regions. The study underscores the importance of addressing the root causes of risks while harnessing community strengths and resources to safeguard and promote the holistic development of these children.

The role of community pharmacists in point-of-care testing and treatment for influenza and Group A Streptococcus -a narrative review using Ecological Systems Theory.

Point-of-care testing (POCT) is a valuable diagnostic approach for identifying pathogens such as Group A Streptococcus (GAS) and influenza. Early detection through POCT allows for timely initiation of appropriate treatments improving public health outcomes and minimizing antibiotic misuse. Community pharmacists are well positioned to offer POCT and treatment, but they face significant system level barriers to widespread implementation and reach. This narrative review employs Ecological Systems Theory to examine the role of community pharmacists in the implementation of POCT and subsequent treatment for respiratory infections and synthesize findings from a range of studies at different levels of the system. Medline was used to identify articles with MESH headings of rapid diagnostic tests and community pharmacists. Articles were reviewed and used to inform the synthesis. Additional articles were identified using free-text search to fill gaps in the domains. The review indicates that community pharmacists are well-positioned to provide POCT for respiratory infections, addressing barriers such as appointment availability, scheduling difficulties, and distance to primary care facilities. The accessibility of neighborhood pharmacies can significantly reduce health disparities by offering timely testing and treatment options. Studies demonstrate that early intervention facilitated by POCT in pharmacies leads to better health outcomes and more efficient use of antibiotics and antivirals. Community pharmacists play a crucial role in expanding access to POCT and treatment for respiratory infections, particularly in underserved areas. Their involvement can lead to improved public health outcomes by ensuring early and appropriate treatment. Future research should focus on overcoming barriers to POCT implementation in pharmacies and further quantifying the impact on health disparities and treatment efficacy. The integration of POCT services in community pharmacies represents a significant advancement in public health strategy, enhancing the overall healthcare delivery system.

Sustainable regional development from the perspective of economic resilience: Based on the impact of COVID-19.

The process of regional economic development is marked by a sustained exposure to external disturbances. In today's unpredictable and tumultuous global environment, such disturbances have become increasingly common, underlining the need to advance a region's economic resilience and foster adaptive mechanisms to handle environmental flux. Comparing the typical provinces in eastern, central, western and northeastern regions during the COVID-19 epidemic period, it found that the economic resilience performance of Henan Province, which is a representative of the central region, has the following characteristics. Henan Province has the lowest total production resilience in the selected regions, but it is in the second position in terms of development potential resistance, while it is in the middle range in terms of resilience performance, and it has a weaker resistance performance in terms of the resilience indicator of the standard of living of the residents. Against this backdrop, this study undertakes an analysis and comparison of the economic resilience indicators of the 18 cities in Henan Province to suggest several refinements. It urges a promotion of the integrated development of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries through increasing emphasis on the industrial sector, which will enable a transformation of the sectoral structuring. Further, digitization can help the upgrading of industries' intelligence and function as a lever to raise their competitiveness. Innovation in enterprises is also crucial in enhancing industrial competitiveness, by bolstering the technological innovation capabilities of enterprises and simultaneously boosting the wage-based incomes of residents, resulting in an overall improvement in their standard of living. Also, the study emphasizes the establishment of a digital talent platform to construct a sound regional talent ecology system.

Sustaining and Disrupting Psychologically Abusive Coaching Practices: An Archival Case Examination of National Hockey League Coach Mike Babcock

The athlete maltreatment crisis and associated cover-ups in sport have received considerable public attention. Calls have been made to critically reflect on broader social norms or features of the sport domain that may enable and sustain such behaviors. To demonstrate the systemic nature of maltreatment, we provide a critical analysis of the case of Mike Babcock, a highly regarded coach in the National Hockey League who reportedly engaged in psychologically abusive conduct throughout his career. Utilizing Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, we discuss macrosystem-, exosystem-, mesosystem-, and microsystem-level factors that enabled Babcock to allegedly engage in psychologically abusive behaviors with adult male athletes in professional ice hockey without consequences. We also highlight several reasons as to why, after so many years (chronosystem), Babcock’s coaching methods received appropriate criticism. To advance the field of kinesiology, we suggest the importance of embedding maltreatment prevention and intervention education in kinesiology programs.