Geopolitical Boundaries Research Articles

Integrating historical observations alters projections of eastern North American spruce–fir habitat under climate change

AbstractSpruce–fir (Picea–Abies) forests of the North American Acadian Forest Region are at risk of disappearing from the northeastern United States and Canada due to climate change. Species distribution models (SDMs) have been used to predict changes in this critical transitional ecosystem in the past, but none have addressed how seasonal patterns of temperature and precipitation interact to influence tree species abundance. Inferences have also been limited by contemporary inventory data that could not fully characterize species ranges because they either, (1) only sampled species occurrence after large‐scale human disturbance and settlement, or (2) did not span critical geopolitical boundaries (e.g., the US–Canadian border) that intersect the focal species' range(s). Here, we built new SDM models to better assess the bioclimatic distribution of four spruce–fir species and to test the importance of seasonal climate interactions. We compiled an extensive database of tree occurrence and abundance from recent (~1955–2012) and historical time periods (1623–1869) to model current species distributions and to predict how these might change under future climate. We found that including historical tree data in our SDMs revealed previously unrecognized suitable habitat along the southern edge of species' contemporary ranges. Random forest models predicted occurrence with high accuracy (area under receiver operator curve >0.98), and the seasonal climate variables that emerged as most important for these cold‐adapted species all included interactions that reflected sensitivity to colder temperatures, and preferences for wet weather concentrated in the winter months. Under moderate climate warming (representative concentration pathway 6.0), the northeastern United States retained additional suitable habitat when historical data were included through 2060 for three of the four species: red spruce (Picea rubens), black spruce (Picea mariana), and balsam fir (Abies balsamea), while white spruce (Picea glauca) habitat contracted into Canada. In contrast, future predictions from models that used contemporary data alone forecast extirpation for all four species from the northeastern United States. Overall, these findings highlight that prediction of species ranges in transitional ecosystems that span geopolitical boundaries and gradients of intense land use are improved when historical data and seasonal climate interactions of both temperature and precipitation variables are incorporated.

Book Review

Book Review

“A Home in My Body”: Migration, Infection, and Privilege in Porochista Khakpour’s Sick

This essay explores the connection between physical and geopolitical boundaries in Porochista Khakpour’s 2018 memoir Sick in the forms of immigration, national identity, and cross-country migration, and the bodily boundaries that protect against infection. Rather than equating the body politic with the immune system, the author argues that Sick’s nonlinear structure creates an ideal form for representing an illness that is primarily characterized by uncertainty and multiplicity. The author then discusses how Khakpour’s connection of different states of privilege—namely, relating to class, race, and diagnosis—to this uncertain state of existence creates a form of life writing that resists the Western-centrism of narratives of illness and migration alike.

Routledge Handbook of Modern Korean Literature

Routledge Handbook of Modern Korean Literature

Modularity maximization to design contiguous policy zones for pandemic response

The health and economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has created a significant global humanitarian disaster. Pandemic response policies guided by geospatial approaches are appropriate additions to traditional epidemiological responses when addressing this disaster. However, little is known about finding the optimal set of locations or jurisdictions to create policy coordination zones. In this study, we propose optimization models and algorithms to identify coordination communities based on the natural movement of people. To do so, we develop a mixed-integer quadratic-programming model to maximize the modularity of detected communities while ensuring that the jurisdictions within each community are contiguous. To solve the problem, we present a heuristic and a column-generation algorithm. Our computational experiments highlight the effectiveness of the models and algorithms in various instances. We also apply the proposed optimization-based solutions to identify coordination zones within North Carolina and South Carolina, two highly interconnected states in the U.S. Results of our case study show that the proposed model detects communities that are significantly better for coordinating pandemic related policies than the existing geopolitical boundaries.

Practical implementation of cumulative‐effects management of marine ecosystems in western North America

Globally, ecosystem structure and function have been degraded by the cumulative effects (CE) of multiple stressors. To maintain ecosystem resilience, there is an urgent need to better account for CE in management decision‐making at various scales. Current laws and regulations are supported by a multitude of frameworks and strategies that vary in application and terminology use across management agencies and geopolitical boundaries. We synthesized management frameworks that accounted for CE in marine ecosystems at the regional and national levels across western North America (Canada, United States, Mexico) to identify similarities and shared challenges to successful implementation. We examined examples of solutions to the identified challenges (e.g., interagency and cross‐border partnerships to overcome challenges of managing for ecologically relevant spatial scales). Management frameworks in general consisted of 3 phases: scoping and structuring the system; characterizing relationships; and evaluating management options. Challenges in the robust implementation of these phases included lack of interagency coordination, minimal incorporation of diverse perspectives, and data deficiencies. Cases that provided solutions to these challenges encouraged coordination at ecological rather than jurisdictional scales, enhanced involvement of stakeholders and Indigenous groups, and used nontraditional data sources for decision‐making. Broader implementation of these approaches, combined with increased interagency and international coordination and collaboration, should facilitate the rapid advancement of more effective CE assessment and ecosystem management in North America and elsewhere.

Moving Beyond Geopolitical Boundaries to Secure Democracy in Southeast Asia: Projecting EU in The QUAD

COVID-19 Pandemic has changed state’s view about development. After several economic damages, the plan to bounce back from pandemic impacts is by adopting GDP-ism development which sacrificing democracy. In Southeast Asia, The trend of deconsolidation of democracy indicated by several events such as military coup in Myanmar and protest against Omnibus Law in Indonesia. At the same time, 2020 also marked a revival of Quadrilateral talk between US, Australia, Japan, and India concerning China’s growing influence in Indo-Pacific region. Many scholars observe this cooperation is involving security strategy to contain China’s influence. But yet there are not many writings about democratization process as a way to hold China’s influence especially in Southeast Asia region. This paper is aimed to show that maintaining democracy is important for QUAD to secure their interests and this effort can involve parties beyond geopolitical boundaries. Hence, this paper would like to seek how EU engagement in QUAD can support democratization process in Southeast Asia by considering its economic influence and domestic politic situation in the region. Furthermore, as post-COVID-19 development is concerned in this paper, It is important to seek how democracy can contribute to foster state economic development and become alternative to Chinese development.

Transnational Spaces in Amitav Ghosh’s The Circle of Reason

This essay maps the unmapped nuances of transnational/cultural spaces in Amitav Ghosh’s debut novel, The Circle of Reason (1986; 2008) which underscores the inter-territorial itinerary of Alu, the protagonist, who after being accused of being a terrorist, runs from Lalpukur, near Calcutta (now Kolkata) to Goa to Al-Ghazira, a fictional gulf-state and finally to Algeria. The novel, Bildungsroman in nature and thematic treatment, poignantly deals with James Clifford’s idea of ‘assimilation’ (of) / ‘travelling’ cultures, geo-political boundaries and hybridization of language. The rationale of the paper is to deconstruct the binaries—tradition and modernity; oriental and occidental cultures; and emigration and immigration, which are, to me, the themes of the narrative of the novel. Ghosh has dexterously intertwined the cultural matrix of different spaces in the novel to show how in this age of mobility, open economy and transnational migration, transcultural awareness is all to value. This essay also traces the trajectory of mobility in the age of fluidity and underpins patterns of movement which affect cultural orientations, sensibilities, and, consequentially, creative expressions.

Geopolitical boundaries and urban borderlands in an Ethiopian frontier city

ABSTRACT Recent approaches to urban borderlands employ border studies theories to analyze urban socio-spatial differentiation. Such approaches highlight how patterns of segregation generate not only social divisions, but also new interactions and connections. This article moves beyond analytic parallels between geopolitical borders and urban borderlands by tracing connections between changing border regimes and urban landscapes in Africa. Drawing on fieldwork in eastern Ethiopia, we show how shifting meanings and enforcement practices at Ethiopia’s international and subnational borders reshaped the socio-spatial landscape of Jigjiga, capital of Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State. The re-drawing of Ethiopia’s internal borders through federalism in 1991 altered spatial enactments of identity in the ethnically-divided city. Since 2010, new approaches to border governance have driven a shift from urban ethnic polarization toward class-oriented differentiation. We mobilize a trans-scalar analytic that theorizes geopolitical borders and urban borderlands as intertwined milieus where groups create and regulate connections, mobilities, and resource circulations.

Mapping the national web: Spaces, cultures and borders of diasporic mobilization in the digital age

AbstractNational web is a series of interlinked online spaces, generated and visited by users who share a common national identity, language and/or an interest in a particular country. For diasporic communities living outside of their country of origin, national web is an entity that emerges through the production and circulation of culturally significant content and genres. A wealth of textual and visual data, produced in the process of mediated communication among diasporic actors, turn social media into a point of entry for mapping national webs. In this paper, we explore hyperlinking behaviours among Ukrainian Canadians to map geographic, linguistic and geopolitical boundaries of the Ukrainian national web. Shining light on the spaces and cultures of diasporic mobilization in the digital age, we identify distinct web spheres that mediate the Ukrainian Canadians’ relationship to their country of origin, demonstrating their elevated significance in the current geopolitical context.

Asymmetry across international borders: Research, fishery and management trends and economic value of the giant sea bass (Stereolepis gigas)

AbstractCo‐operation in the management of shared fish stocks is often necessary to achieve sustainability and reduce uncertainty. The United States of America (USA) and Mexico share a number of fish stocks and marine ecosystems, while there is some binational co‐operation in scientific research, unilateral management decisions are generally the rule. We present a case study using the giant sea bass (Stereolepis gigas, Polyprionidae) to highlight how these management and research asymmetries can skew national perceptions of population status for a fully transboundary species. Scientific publications and annual funding related to giant sea bass are 7x and 25x higher in the USA, respectively, despite the fact that 73% of the species’ range occurs in Mexico. Conversely, annual fishery production and consumptive value of giant sea bass in Mexico are 19x and 3.5x higher than in the USA, respectively, while the non‐consumptive value related to dive ecotourism is 76x higher in the USA. These asymmetries have generated a distorted view of the population status of the giant sea bass across its entire range. This and other factors related to historical fishery dynamics and policy must be accounted for when assessing population status, and subsequent appropriate management responses, across geopolitical boundaries.

ELF and multilingual justice in English language teaching practices: voices from Indonesian English lecturers

ABSTRACT The unprecedented spread of English across geopolitical boundaries has contributed to the recurrent rise of English as a lingua franca (ELF) studies. However, pressure from native English speakers’ norms remains feasible in many English instructional activities in non-English-speaking countries including Indonesia. Using semi-structured interview with four teachers in UMI University, this article examines the perception of Indonesian English teachers towards ELF and the extent to which the ELT practices (may) accommodate multilingual justice. The findings demonstrated that teachers have a complex perception and ambivalent attitude towards ELF as they think ELF is important for the students, but, due to lack of support from institution and colleagues, they tend to orient their teaching activities to native English norms. Also, the current practice of ELT doesn’t (yet) accommodate justice for multilingual learners. A more systematic institutional policy needs to be undertaken to reinforce the teachers’ existing positive perspective towards ELF.

Sampling units derived from geopolitical boundaries bias biodiversity analyses

AbstractAimSampling decisions are known to influence the estimation and interpretation of biodiversity. The use of geopolitical and administrative boundaries (GABs) for mapping biodiversity variables and identifying hotspots has a long history in biogeography and conservation biology. However, potential biases associated with these units and their effects on conservation decisions has not been adequately explored.LocationGlobal.Time period21,000 years ago to present day.Major taxa studiedAmphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles.MethodsI calculated biodiversity metrics for four major taxa at eight different spatial resolutions to understand scale‐dependencies. I then compared these estimates to those using GABs (e.g., countries and other large units) as sampling units. I also used both grid‐ and GAB‐based sampling designs to model the relationship between biodiversity patterns and relevant climate variables.ResultsLarger sampling units led to higher estimates of species richness and phylogenetic diversity. Taxonomic and phylogenetic endemism remained relatively stable across scales due to competing biases related to grain size and estimation of range size. Using GABs led to both under‐ and overestimation of endemism when compared to fine‐resolution grid‐based estimates, with differences varying across space and taxonomic groups. Importantly, using GABs resulted in different locations being identified as biodiversity hotspots when compared to grid‐based analyses. Likewise, different climate drivers of species richness and endemism were identified when using a GAB‐ versus grid‐based sampling design.Main conclusionsUsing GABs will remain an important method for mapping variation in biodiversity metrics across the globe. However, appropriate understanding of the biases associated with these and other ad‐hoc sampling designs should be better understood and accounted for in macroecology analyses, including for understanding environmental drivers of biodiversity patterns and identifying local and regional diversity hotspots. This is especially true for measures of diversity that incorporate species range size, such as taxonomic and phylogenetic endemism.

Bridging the research-implementation gap in avian conservation with translational ecology

AbstractThe recognized gap between research and implementation in avian conservation can be overcome with translational ecology, an intentional approach in which science producers and users from multiple disciplines work collaboratively to co-develop and deliver ecological research that addresses management and conservation issues. Avian conservation naturally lends itself to translational ecology because birds are well studied, typically widespread, often exhibit migratory behaviors transcending geopolitical boundaries, and necessitate coordinated conservation efforts to accommodate resource and habitat needs across the full annual cycle. In this perspective, we highlight several case studies from bird conservation practitioners and the ornithological and conservation social sciences exemplifying the 6 core translational ecology principles introduced in previous studies: collaboration, engagement, commitment, communication, process, and decision-framing. We demonstrate that following translational approaches can lead to improved conservation decision-making and delivery of outcomes via co-development of research and products that are accessible to broader audiences and applicable to specific management decisions (e.g., policy briefs and decision-support tools). We also identify key challenges faced during scientific producer–user engagement, potential tactics for overcoming these challenges, and lessons learned for overcoming the research-implementation gap. Finally, we recommend strategies for building a stronger translational ecology culture to further improve the integration of these principles into avian conservation decisions. By embracing translational ecology, avian conservationists and ornithologists can be well positioned to ensure that future management decisions are scientifically informed and that scientific research is sufficiently relevant to managers. Ultimately, such teamwork can help close the research-implementation gap in the conservation sciences during a time when environmental issues are threatening avian communities and their habitats at exceptional rates and at broadening spatial scales worldwide.

Baltic – Black Sea Area as a Geopolitical Reality: Does It Exist?

As the social and political transformations observed in the modern world have recently made current the issue of formation of new geopolitical regions, the Baltic – Black Sea Area deserves particular attention because the geopolitical status of this junction territory still remains questionable. The geopolitical boundaries of the Baltic – Black Sea Area are constantly changing not only functionally, but also structurally, which is why it can be considered as a specific geopolitical formation located at the junction of the two geopolitical mega-regions of Western Europe and Northern Eurasia. This area is highly fragmented and still undergoing very painful political, cultural, and economic transformations. The power competition between Russia, NATO and the EU, as well as the region’s historical legacy have determined the path of its development. As a result, the Baltic – Black Sea Area does not have any system of political division or economic management, but close connections between the countries located there and many spheres of their common interest promote comprehensive cooperation and dialogue on a variety of issues. If their cooperation leads to multilateral relationships based on the principle of the sovereign equality of states which are trying to expand the scope of their collaboration and limit the scope of confrontation, they could organize a system of complementary elements which provide synergies and ensure the existence of the Baltic – Black Sea Area as a geopolitical reality.

Rīgas humānistu laikmets latviešu romānistu tēlojumā

In the broad tradition of the Latvian historical novel, which has flourished in recent decades, the authors have a strong tendency to focus either on ancient history up to the 13th century or on events important to the Latvian nation in the 19th and 20th centuries. Writers are less interested in the era of humanism in the 16th and 17th centuries when the Latvian nation is still sprouting in the ground. However, these centuries have been crucial in defining the region’s geopolitical affiliation and cultural boundaries. From a broader diachronic view at Latvian novels, it can be stated that a number of Latvian writers, starting from the beginning of the 20th century, have tried to give a textual life to the humanist era in Livonia with various approaches to the historical novel thus creating a special set of texts to be called the Livonian text. Within the framework of this article, the view on the Livonian text consists of a review of 8 novels that have been written over more than a hundred years. They are not all texts on the subject but form a compact and representative sample in terms of theme, stylistics, and genre features. These texts are Andrievs Niedra’s (1871–1942) novel “When the Moon Wears Out” (Kad mēness dilst, 1902), Rutku Tēvs’s (1886–1961) “Rebellious Riga” (Dumpīgā Rīga, 1930) and “Mūksala Brothers” (Mūksalas brāļi, 1934), Astrīda Beināre’s (1937–2016) “Our Lady of Riga Monastery” (Rīgas Dievmātes klosteris, 1993), Aivars Kļavis’s (1953) tetralogy “Beyond the Gate” (Viņpus vārtiem), which consists of the novels “Jester of Adiaminde” (Adiamindes āksts, 2005), “Riga Humpback” (Rīgas kuprītis, 2007), “Ridiculed Soldier” (Piesmietais karavīrs, 2009), “Captives of the Traveling Circus” (Ceļojošā cirka gūstekņi, 2012).

An illicit artisanal fishery for North Pacific white sharks indicates frequent occurrence and high mortality in the Gulf of California

AbstractLarge sharks shape ecosystems across their geographic ranges and have become a top research and conservation priority. Eastern North Pacific (ENP) white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) aggregations off the United States and Mexico are well described, but their population status is currently uncertain. Population assessments of ENP white sharks are complicated by migrations across international boundaries, vulnerability at aggregation sites, and undetermined mortality levels. While protective legislation exists both in the United States and Mexico, ongoing incidental and unreported catch may undermine assessments and management. Here, access to a clandestine artisanal fishery provides evidence for white shark abundance and mortality in the Gulf of California that has been underestimated by other methods (e.g., satellite telemetry, [by]catch data). Shark size estimates based on tooth measurements suggest abundance of both juvenile and mature sharks in the region, and updated population models indicate the potential for substantial impacts of this fishery on ENP population viability. The data here, fisher‐provided information, and anecdotal evidence suggest potentially high abundance at two specific regions, making directed future research efforts feasible in the Gulf. These data demonstrate that cryptic life histories and geopolitical boundaries can still limit fundamental understanding of megafauna distribution, necessitating international cooperation for both research and management.

Genetic population structure of the Blackspot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo): contribution of mtDNA control region to fisheries management

Marine fisheries management models have traditionally considered biological parameters and geopolitical boundaries. The result is the existence of fisheries management units that do not match genetic populations. However, this panorama is changing with the contribution of genetic and genomic data. Pagellus bogaraveo is a commercially important sparid in the northeast Atlantic, with three stock components being considered by ICES: the Celtic Sea and Bay of Biscay, Atlantic Iberian waters and the Azores. The northern stock collapsed (1975–1985) and is essential to characterize the genetic makeup of the species, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula, where it is managed as a single stock. The mitochondrial control region was used to screen the intraspecific diversity and population structure of individuals from six locations across the species range. The genetic diversity found is similar among sites, and there is differentiation between the Azores and the remaining locations.

Geopolitical Approaches to the Term Study of the “Central Asia”

The article is devoted to the methodological approaches that reveal the essence of the term «Central Asia». After the collapse of the USSR, five Post-Soviet States located in the center of Eurasia, adopted the international name of the region «Central Asia» instead of the soviet term «Central Asia and Kazakhstan». However, at the present stage, the accepted Post-Soviet geopolitical term raises many questions and requires a detailed description. The author analyzes the essence of the term «Central Asia» through the prism of historical, geographical and geopolitical approaches. It is concluded that the historical and geographical borders of the region do not coincide with the borders of the political term «Central Asia». Famous Western and Russian geopolitics are trying to present the region within broader geopolitical boundaries which is due to the geographical features of the region and its hydrocarbon potential. As a result the term “Central Asia” is interpreted differently by researchers.

Imagining a Borderless Future: Methodologies for Multimodal Remix in Pan-terrestrial People’s Anthem

Flags and national anthems, as symbols of the nation state, frequently rely on music, lyrics and visual design to enlist and manipulate emotional bonds. Can these same tools be used, alternatively, to disentangle connections to our concepts of country, notions of borders or even the idea of the nation state itself? This is the question at the core of Pan-terrestrial People’s Anthem, an interdisciplinary remixing of the lyrics and music of 195 countries’ national anthems and their corresponding flags to create a body of poetry, music and videos. In an era of increasing closed-door nationalism, this article proposes that remix strategies can be used to unravel our concepts of nations, which traditionally magnify differences between countries and overemphasize a false sense of uniqueness, and to point instead to the interconnectedness between populations. In this context, remix strategies become a model for a future imaginary, a world that emphasizes the interdependence of beings and spaces that transcend established geopolitical boundaries. Through the case study of Pan-terrestrial People’s Anthem, I argue that remix strategies are particularly well suited as an aesthetic structural tactic for engaging with pressing issues where intertwined and entangled futures are at stake.