Ecological Problems Research Articles

Treating the Symptoms as Well as the Root Causes: How the Digital Economy Can Mitigate the Negative Impacts of Land Resource Mismatches on Urban Ecological Resilience

In the era of the digital economy (DE), the traditional economic growth paradigm is no longer applicable. To explore whether the DE can improve the urban ecological problems left behind by rough economic growth, this study examines the effects of land resource mismatch (LRM) on urban ecological resilience (UER) and evaluates the mitigating influence of the DE. This analysis utilizes data from 280 prefectural-level cities in China over the period from 2007 to 2021 and reveals that LRM significantly undermines UER, with this conclusion remaining robust across a series of tests. Additionally, the detrimental impact of LRM on UER is more pronounced in megacities, cities with high levels of economic development, and those with a lower degree of advanced industrial structure. In further analysis, this study finds that the digital economy can optimize the allocation of land resources, thereby enhancing urban ecological resilience, which has the effect of “treating the root causes”. In addition, digital government and digital infrastructure, as key elements of the digital economy, also mitigate the negative impacts of land resource misallocation on urban ecological resilience, having the effect of “treating the symptoms”. Finally, this study proposes policy suggestions such as optimizing ecological layout, deepening land reform, and promoting digital government and infrastructure construction to provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for local governments to enhance UER and help build a new model of greener, more resilient, and sustainable urban development.

PENGARUH GREEN MARKETING TERHADAP MINAT DAN KEPUTUSAN PEMBELIAN KONSUMEN PT. SINAR SOSRO TABANAN

Ecological problems due to the increasing volume of plastic waste are a global concern, with several Asian countries including Indonesia as the main contributor of plastic waste to the oceans. PT Sinar Sosro hopes that by implementing green marketing it can influence customer purchasing decisions which include customer confidence and confidence in the products purchased. This study aims to evaluate the impact of green marketing on consumer choice and purchase intention at PT Sinar Sosro Tabanan Branch Office. The type of research used is quantitative research. The research subjects were all consumers of PT Sinar Sosro Tabanan Head Office with samples taken using accidental sampling technique totaling 60 samples. Partial Least Square (PLS) was used as a data processing tool. The results found that environmentally friendly marketing has a positive and significant effect on purchase intention with a coefficient of 0.788, and a purchase decision coefficient of 0.646. Purchase intention is also shown to mediate the impact of green marketing on purchasing decisions with a partial effect. Good implementation of green marketing increases consumer purchasing decisions and purchase interest, and supports PT Sinar Sosro in maintaining market share in the midst of intense beverage industry competition.

Sustainability as Proper Investment: Organisational and Field Level Effects of Grand Challenges in the Case of Swiss Banking

For business firms Grand Challenges (GCs) have become both a social expectation they must meet and a promising opportunity to make profits. Based on the insights of the organisation-society approach, we use the example of banks to show how social and ecological problems are translated into manageable objects and how this translation corresponds to changes at the field level. We identify new forms of collaboration, the emergence of new professionals, and the further trainings of established professionals as a promising research perspective.

Use of pseudomonas fluorecens isolated from the Serra de Ouro Branco State Park/Minas Gerais - Brazil in the biodegradation of residual automotive lubricating oils

About 2% of the oil consumed worldwide is related to the production of automotive and industrial lubricating oils. The pollution derived from these oils in aquatic and terrestrial environments is responsible for several ecological and social problems due to their toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic properties. Thus, studies related to bioremediation are of importance, and the use of biological treatments, such as biodegradation, is a viable and effective alternative for the treatment of these compounds. The present study aimed to evaluate the biodegradation performance of residual automotive lubricating oils using the lipases Pseudomonas fluorecens obtained in bioprospecting carried out in the Serra do Ouro Branco State Park, Minas Gerais. Through the colorimetric method using the redox indicator 2.6-dichlorophenol-indophenol (DCPIP), the biodegradability of residual oils was monitored. The results obtained demonstrated the potential of the selected bacteria, since they degraded approximately 61.74 to 83.8 % of the waste studied.

Characteristics of soil moisture transport in the aeration zone of subsidence areas under the disturbance of coal seam mining

High-intensity coal mining has induced a series of ecological and environmental problems issues, including surface subsidence, the development of ground cracks, and the deterioration of vegetation. The disruption of water circulation systems induced by mining, such as perched groundwater, groundwater of aeration zone, and phreatic water, is the root cause of vegetation withering. The aeration zone serves as a crucial nexus in the process of water cycling and exerts a significant influence on soil fertility. To explore the characteristics of soil moisture transport in subsidence areas under the mining disturbance, on-site monitoring of the size and morphology characteristics of subsidence areas and ground cracks was conducted in typical mining areas in Inner Mongolia, China. Subsequently, a typical soil moisture transport model was constructed in subsidence areas, the soil moisture transport patterns under the influence of different types of subsidence and cracks were analyzed, and the influence law of soil damage on soil moisture transport in the aerated zone was clarified. The results indicate that (1) Based on the occurrence and distribution characteristics of subsidence cracks, the subsidence area can be divided into tension zone, compression zone, and neutral zone; the ground cracks are divided into permanent tension cracks and dynamic cracks. (2) The drought stress effect of soil in the subsidence area is significant. Under the influence of soil structure variation, the water-holding capacity of the soil in the subsidence area decreases, and the soil moisture dissipation is strong. The soil moisture transport rate in the aeration zone of the subsidence area is ranked as follows: tension zone > neutral zone > compression zone. (3) Ground cracks can exacerbate the soil moisture transport rate in the aeration zone. After 15 d of crack appearance, the soil moisture transport reaches a relatively stable state, and the soil moisture transport rate in the surface layer of the crack is the fastest, and the loss of soil moisture is the most significant. The crack effect is not significant beyond 100 cm from the crack. This study provides a theoretical and data support for soil and vegetation remediation in mining subsidence areas.

Enforcement Challenges and Legal Implications of Environmental Regulations

India is now struggling with a number of severe environmental concerns that put the country's development as well as its future possibilities in jeopardy. The natural environment of India has been severely damaged as a result of unchecked human activity, and the resulting ecological problems are stifling the country's capacity for social progress. The study demonstrates how a backdrop of extreme poverty, decreasing land area, increasing air pollution, decreasing water resources, the extinction of native species of flora and fauna, and the disappearance of native species of flora and fauna all work against the good development of Indians and the nation as a whole. It places a primary emphasis on preserving the natural equilibrium that exists between human existence and the surrounding environment as its primary goal. This is an absolute requirement for the growth of all life, including human life. The primary contribution that this article will make is to offer assistance to the government agencies that are responsible for fostering environmental awareness among Indian residents.

Efecto antrópico en propiedades del suelo en sistemas de producción agrícola en la granja Santa Inés

Soil is the main element for the health of agroecosystems; however, agricultural activities have altered the properties of the soil, affecting the quality of the non-renewable natural resource. The objective of the work was to determine the anthropogenic effect of agricultural management on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil in production systems of the Santa Inés farm. For this, permanent sampling points were randomly selected in five agroecosystems (cocoa, banana, corn, pastures, and forest) belonging to the Santa Inés farm. The anthropogenic effect in agriculture has significantly transformed the properties of the soil, caused by the intensive use of agricultural tillage, fertilizers, and pesticides which have caused notable changes in apparent density, porosity, sand content, clay, and nutrients. The modifications that occurred in the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the Inceptisol soil reflect the direct influence of agricultural practices on soil degradation and its ability to maintain sustainable crops.

Adsorption of toxic metals from greywater using coconut husk biochar and spent green tea

The discharge of wastewater into ground and surface waters can cause human and ecological health problems, hence eco-friendly, sustainable and cost-effective methods for removing toxic metals from wastewater are required. The study employed coconut husk biochar and spent impra ginseng flavoured green tea to adsorb cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb) from greywater. The adsorption capacity of coconut husk biochar ranged from 88.70 % to 98.20 % for cadmium, 78 %–96 % for chromium and 95.71 %–99.29 % for lead whilst the spent impra ginseng flavoured green tea ranged from 94.03 % to 96.87 % for cadmium, 52 %–74 % for chromium and 98.52 %–99.48 % for lead. The maximum adsorption capacity (Qe) of coconut husk biochar ranged from 235.64 to 1132.40 mg/g for Cd, 1.31–8.80 mg/g for Cr and 58.85–415.80 mg/g for Pb. Lead demonstrated the highest affinity for the binding of coconut husk biochar and spent impra ginseng flavoured green tea adsorbent with a trend of Pb > Cd > Cr. Coconut husk biochar and spent impra ginseng flavoured green tea adsorbent were suitable for the toxic metals adsorption in the greywater. Cr showed different removal efficiencies where coconut husk biochar showed more effective removal than spent impra ginseng flavoured green tea. The application of coconut husk biochar and spent impra ginseng flavoured green tea in wastewater treatment is a green technology means and can lead to zero pollution of freshwater.

Eutrophication of Lakes: From Global Process to Regional Implication in the Kola Arctic Region

ABSTRACTEutrophication of water bodies is analysed as a global process. The volumes of globally increasing use of nitrogen and phosphorus are demonstrated, with the dispersion of these elements leading to increased nutrient contents in lakes and rivers. Results of original studies on remote lakes in the Arctic zone indicate that the content of nutrients in these lakes has increased over the past decades. Concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter in lake waters tend to increase in the absence of anthropogenic effects. Simultaneously, the silicon concentrations were found to decrease because of the consumption by diatoms. Low concentrations of bioavailable nutrients confirm that these nutrients are rapidly spent in the production processes of ecosystems. The calculated trophic state index (according to R. Carlson) indicates that the number of oligotrophic lakes in the forest tundra zone decreased by 50% by 2010–2018, and these lakes are absent from the northern taiga zone. Temperature increase and climate warming in the Arctic zone first caused the increase in the contents of nutrients in the lakes and their trophic states.

Antimicrobial Resistance in Nigeria and the One-Health Approach to Antimicrobial Stewardship: A Review

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, to survive, thrive and even proliferate in the presence of chemical agents meant to destroy or slow down their rate of growth. According to a study conducted in 2022, approximately 5 million deaths occurred globally that are related to AMR. This is an astronomical increase from 1.27 million AMR related deaths reported by a study conducted in 2019. By 2050, this number has been projected to rise to 10,000,000 deaths annually. Since AMR has been seen to be an ecological problem it calls for a cooperative, interdisciplinary strategy including experts in environmental, animal, and human health called the One Health strategy. The misuse of antibiotics is clearly linked as a causal factor for the evolution of resistance. Modern medicine has even inadvertently accelerated this change even further by eradicating competitor organisms which were drug-susceptible, thus allowing resistant microorganisms to multiply and spread via natural selection. AMR is also significantly aided by the improper prescription of antibiotics. AMR is a serious public health issue globally an in Nigeria. Current statistics suggest that without taking measured steps the spectrum of antibiotics which will be available for treatment of infections will continue to reduce. Antimicrobial stewardship along with the one health approach are strategies which will help to ensure that AMR can be brought under control.

칼 사우어(Carl O. Sauer)의 문화·역사지리학에 투영된 환경관

Despite Sauer set out his coursework in 1909 in the midst of Davisian physiography and environmentalism, Salisbury at Chicago assisted him to avoid the causative man-nature relation by laying emphasis on field observations. Having witnessed the widespread soil exhaustion in Illinois and Missouri, Sauer now at Ann Arbor had to redress economic and ecological problems from the deforestration of white pines on the Great Lakes. Advising on the issues of land utilization and soil erosion for the New Deal Government, Sauer in Berlekey shaped up the landscape morphology in which culture was conceived as an agent, natural landscape a medium and cultural landscape an outcome. The intellectual encounter with Boasian anthropology resulted in cultural and historical geography or culture history of seeking out the origin, diffusion and transformation of culture and cultural landscape, bearing the brunt of environmentalism. To be noted is that Sauer resurrected Marsh’s Man and Nature by organizing the 1955 international symposium on ‘Man’s Role in Changing the Face of the Earth’. Sauer’s environmental ethics urges us to do our moral and ecological duties for the coming generation.

The Role of Creative Economics in Sei Nagalawan Mangrove Ecotourism Sector

Sei Nagalawan Village in Serdang Bedagai Regency, Indonesia, utilizes the mangrove ecosystem for economic benefits through creative activities and fishing. However, long-term use raises ecological and social problems, requiring a balance between conservation and development. This post-positivism-based study explores the transformation of Sei Nagalawan into an ecotourism center, involving stakeholders such as local government, ecotourism managers and the media. Drone mapping reveals a variety of attractions at Mangrove Beach, but challenges such as marketing, infrastructure problems and limited shrimp cultivation skills hinder community empowerment. This program, led by the Muara Baimbai Mangrove Conservation Group, aims to increase capabilities, improve economic prosperity and environmental awareness. Identified weaknesses indicate low awareness and support. Opportunities arise from tourist interests, but threats arise from waste problems and conflicts of interest. The strategy includes mangrove management, conservation, online promotion and education, aiming to achieve a balance between conservation and economic activities, while recognizing existing challenges and the need for sustainable efforts

Synthesis and characterization of modified chitosan as a promising material for enterosorption of heavy metal ions

Currently, an important ecological problem is environmental pollution and its negative impact on living organisms, the consequences of which are deterioration in general health and the manifestation of various diseases, poisoning, endo- and exotoxicosis. Enterosorption method was proposed as a promising method for removing toxic substances from the living organisms using enterosorbents which can absorb various toxic substances of endogenous and exogenous nature in the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract. It has been proposed to use polymer-containing enterosorbents for eliminating of heavy metals from the organism. The purpose of this research was to synthesize a quaternized derivative of chitosan, specifically N-(2-hydroxybenzyl)-N-ethyl-N-methyl chitosan chloride (Q-CHS). The synthesis of Q-CHS involved the formation of a Schiff base, followed by the quaternization of the amino group of chitosan (CHS). The structures of both pure CHS and quaternized CHS were studied using various physico-chemical methods, including FTIR, NMR, XRD, SEM, DSC and TGA analyses in order to determine the structure and confirm the formation of the final product.

Quantification of Green Carbon Changes in Relation with LULC Changes using Remote Sensing - GIS Technology in Kuantan River Basin

Land use land cover changes (LULCC) is a process that is influenced by anthropogenic effect. The growth of population is increasing, which leads to a demand on metropolitan regions. However, these urbanization and development are significant contributors to the expansion of LULCC conflict at an alarming rate to fulfil the human needs. LULCC has derived huge effects towards the environment which is biomass and green carbon changes. LULCC has caused vegetation covers of the land being degraded which reducing the total biomass of the area and implemented to that, the carbon stock for the area is increasing causing climate change and global warming. Therefore, the estimation of total carbon is important to be conducted. The existing map of LULCC is not update, the inventories information about the total carbon in Kuantan is not well covered, people in this region are lack of awareness about the harmful of carbon in the air, and conventional method is hard to be applied for carbon estimation are the problems that have derived for this study to be conducted. This study is focused on quantification of total carbon in Kuantan district to raise the awareness towards the local communities about the danger of high amount of carbon. The objective of this study is to classify LULC types in Kuantan district using geospatial artificial intelligent (GeoAI) approach on satellite images, to relate soil types, vegetation index and satellite – based total biomass in Kuantan River basin and to map green carbon changes in Kuantan based on quantified biomass using remote sensing – GIS technology. Therefore, this study is focused on Kuantan district to quantify the total biomass and carbon in this area by using selected multispectral satellites images with high spatial resolution Landsat 8 OLI, and Landsat 5 TM.

The Ecological Risks in Arid Zones from a Production–Living–Ecological Space Perspective: A Case Study of the Tuha Region in Xinjiang, China

The ecological and environmental problems of arid zones have become an urgent global concern. Current research on ecological risk is based mainly on the dominant functions of land use, with a primary focus on land use landscape projections and less consideration of potential risks to ecosystems, system resilience and interactions between nature and future sustainable development. In this study, a potential–connectivity–resilience ecological risk assessment model based on the SDGs was constructed using multisource data to spatially quantify indicators at the grid scale in the Turpan and Hami regions of Xinjiang, China. This model was used as a basis for studying ecological risk in arid zones from a production–living–ecological space (PLES) perspective. The results revealed that, during the period 2000–2020, PLESs in the Turpan and Hami regions presented significant spatial similarity, with an increasing trend in overall risk. The production space in the Turpan and Hami regions showed a parabolic trend of increasing and then decreasing, whereas the living space and ecological space in the Hami region showed continuous linear upward trends. The state of ecological security in the Turpan and Hami regions is gradually deteriorating, and comprehensive ecological protection and restoration measures are urgently needed to rationally allocate the structure and layout of the production-–living-–ecological space. The study of ecological risk from a PLES perspective not only helps in fully understanding the development trend of the arid zone; it also provides new ideas and methods for evaluating regional ecological environmental safety and scientific references for formulating regional sustainable development, ecological risk prevention and control and the rational allocation of resources.

Developing collaborative ecosystem platforms to trigger sustainable “place-based” value creation: a dynamic performance governance approach

PurposeThis paper aims to illustrate how service ecosystem governance may provide a suitable ground to pursue holistic resilience to “wicked” socio-economic and ecological problems, for enhancing “place-based” sustainable performance outcomes through an organizational, interorganizational and context setting.Design/methodology/approachThis work suggests the use of “place-based” collaborative ecosystem platforms driven by a dynamic performance governance approach as a setting where facilitated performance dialogue is carried out among networked stakeholders. This fosters a holistic view of performance sustainability where intangibles, inertial, cultural and behavioral factors play a key role in policy analysis.FindingsThe paper illustrates how different research streams framing stakeholder relationships under a business, hybrid organization and public sector perspective converge toward the “service ecosystem” construct, as a common field for sustainable “place-based” value creation. This performance governance perspective frames accountability for achieving sustainable outcomes through interconnected viewpoints, i.e. (1) time (short vs long-term), (2) subject (single organization, “theme-focused” service ecosystem and “place-based” service ecosystem) and (3) field (socio-economic, cultural and ecological).Originality/valueThis work has an interdisciplinary track. It recommends feedback and “stock-and-flow” modeling to enhance framing counterintuitive patterns of behavior of dynamic complex socio-economic, cultural and ecological subsystems within “place-based” collaborative ecosystem platforms. Combining an inside-out with an outside-in view triggers sustainable outcome-based dynamic performance governance through an organizational, interorganizational and context setting.

Exploring the Income-Increasing Benefits of Rural E-Commerce in China: Implications for the Sustainable Development of Farmers

The slowdown in income not only hinders the sustainable development of farmers but also exacerbates ecological and environmental problems. Likewise, the digital economy model represented by e-commerce has become a key path for growing farmers’ income. This article is based on 2020 China Rural Revitalization Survey data and uses the OLS and mediation effect models to examine the impact and mechanism of e-commerce operations on farmers’ income. The research results indicate that e-commerce operations can significantly improve the income level of farmers. After robustness and endogeneity tests, this conclusion still holds. The mechanism analysis results indicate that e-commerce operations promote farmers’ income growth by enhancing information acquisition, reducing operating costs, and enhancing financial support. The results of the heterogeneity analysis indicate that the impact of e-commerce on farmers’ income is heterogeneous in terms of income structure, education level, and regional distribution. Specifically, e-commerce significantly increases farmers’ agricultural operating income, non-agricultural operating income, and transfer income but significantly reduces their wage income. At the same time, e-commerce has a more significant income-increasing effect on highly educated and central and western farmers. Therefore, in promoting the development of a rural digital economy, it is necessary to improve the supporting facilities of e-commerce in rural areas; strengthen the supply of information, technology, capital, talent, and other elements; continue to improve the inclusiveness of rural e-commerce; and promote the sustainable growth of farmers’ income. The above findings not only provide new channels and ideas for farmers to increase income through e-commerce operations, but also help relevant decision-making departments to formulate new policies to promote farmers’ income growth and the development of e-commerce in China.

THE ECONOMIC PROSPECTS OF SOME ADJARA TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE LOCATIONS

Lasha Mgeladze E-mail: Mgeladzee@yahoo.com Master, Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University Batumi, Georgia https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2445-2567 Abstract: The present work discusses basic characteristics of economic potential of some Adjara tourism infrastructure locations, as well as prospect economic views connected to tourism industry. Besides, it envisages certain issues of Adjara tourism infrastructure development, their solutions and general economic strategies, its impact on socio-economic, ecological and demographic problems of region population, in particular, focus is on those basic tourism locations, the economic potential of which has positive reflect on socio-economic life of region population. The given Article gives proper conclusions in which Author’s views are established about Adjara tourism development issues and capacities. Keywords: Idnustry, Infrastructure, Location, Transformation, Capabilities JEL classification: R1, R3

HBeeID: a molecular tool that identifies honey bee subspecies from different geographic populations

BackgroundHoney bees are the principal commercial pollinators. Along with other arthropods, they are increasingly under threat from anthropogenic factors such as the incursion of invasive honey bee subspecies, pathogens and parasites. Better tools are needed to identify bee subspecies. Genomic data for economic and ecologically important organisms is increasing, but in its basic form its practical application to address ecological problems is limited.ResultsWe introduce HBeeID a means to identify honey bees. The tool utilizes a knowledge-based network and diagnostic SNPs identified by discriminant analysis of principle components and hierarchical agglomerative clustering. Tests of HBeeID showed that it identifies African, Americas-Africanized, Asian, and European honey bees with a high degree of certainty even when samples lack the full 272 SNPs of HBeeID. Its prediction capacity decreases with highly admixed samples.ConclusionHBeeID is a high-resolution genomic, SNP based tool, that can be used to identify honey bees and screen species that are invasive. Its flexible design allows for future improvements via sample data additions from other localities.

James O 'Connor's Ecological Thought and its Practical Enlightenment

James O 'Connor's ecological thought was born in the middle and late 20th century. By using the unique theory of double contradiction and double crisis of capitalism, James O 'Connor revealed the global ecological crisis caused by the development of capitalism, outlined a new model of ecological socialism, and tried to find a feasible path to solve the global ecological crisis. To mitigate the adverse effects of the ecological crisis on the capitalist world. James O 'Connor's ecological thought has been widely discussed by the academic community since it was put forward. Subsequently, many scholars in the field of ecology have analyzed and studied James O 'Connor's thought. Through the organic combination with the current actual situation and practical experience, they began to apply James O 'Connor's ecological thought to the management of ecological problems. The construction of ecological civilization in our country is also developing continuously, and O 'Connor's ecological thought has a very positive enlightening and instructive significance to the construction of ecological civilization in our country.