Natural Resource Management Issues Research Articles

A Whale of a Tale: Post-Colonialism, Critical Theory, and Deconstruction: Revisiting the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling through a Socio-Legal Perspective

This article is a critical interpretation of the indigenous whaling debate, which, although often discussed in legal academia, has received only passing critical attention. As a scholar in the critical theory/critical legal studies model, I am primarily concerned with the impact that law and debates about law have on divergent groups (racial, ethnic, gender, etc.). This article develops a criticism of the United States's postcolonial opposition to whaling, arguing, instead, for cultural relativism. The article indicts U.S. imperialism, and treatment of indigenous peoples, arguing for interdisciplinary analysis and a more keen appreciation for the voice of indigenous peoples. As I often do in my writing, I turn the critical lens back on me, as author, and investigate what it means to write critically for me, personally, and for other scholars who write postcolonial scholarship. The whaling debate is as important now as ever, especially as the issues of natural resource management take on a larger role in international politics. Off-shore drilling and energy exploration in the Arctic are but too examples of the rising importance of these issues. Whaling has largely been viewed as an environmental issue and the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICW) has been construed in terms of international relations and hegemony studies. Those approaches are an excellent contribution to the debate, but what seems to most be missing is a qualitative approach that blends critical theory, history, sociology, and cultural studies to better understand the polarizing whaling discussion.

Emerging issues in biodiversity & conservation management: The need for a palaeoecological perspective

The study of Quaternary environmental change is directly applicable to on-going issues of global conservation. Palaeoecological research techniques provide the tools to address some of the key questions presently being asked by conservation ecologists and land management organizations. But is this type of analysis currently being utilized to its full potential? Are the results of palaeoenvironmental analyses routinely applied to practical issues of natural resource management, and if not what can be done to expand the application of this research within the conservation community? This paper reviews recent developments in the application of the analysis of late Quaternary environmental change to key environmental issues of biodiversity and conservation management and examines areas which could be strengthened in the future including: (i) determination of baselines and natural ecosystem variability; (ii) understanding ecological thresholds and resilience; (iii) climate change conservation strategies; (iv) biological invasions; and (v) conservation and culture.

The Future of the Murray River: Amenity Re‐Considered?

AbstractMost efforts to restore environmental flows to the Murray River assume that it means resolving a dilemma between two competing needs: those of the environment and those of agriculturalists. This paper provides evidence to show amenity is also important, it is not being adequately considered, and that this, in turn, is impeding efforts to restore environmental flows.The paper contains a literature review of a number of studies which, when combined, show that the importance of amenity (tourism, recreation and lifestyle) is of similar scale (has significant economic value and community support) to productive values. Three case studies show that community concerns about loss of amenity values have impeded restoration programs despite evidence that existing practices are causing environmental damage. The debate about water use in the Murray is clearly not simply one between environment and production but also one involving lifestyles. The challenge is to better understand the nature and scale of amenity and its relationship to other natural resource management issues.

Environmental and Natural Resource Economists, Great Research, and the National Science Foundation

Environmental and natural resource economists could be more effectively engaged in great research on exciting issues in environmental and natural resource management. After identifying possible obstacles to improved research, the article focuses on opportunities and obstacles associated with obtaining funding from the National Science Foundation. Opportunities abound, both ongoing and in the future, for interdisciplinary work involving environmental and natural resource economists. Keys to exploiting these opportunities for funding include a willingness to face rejection, build teams, contact program officers with specific questions, write detailed research designs, and prepare proposals that promise to go beyond narrow incremental advances.

Quantifying the response of crops to shelter in the agricultural regions of South Australia

Integrating belts of woody perennials into Australian farms is proposed as a method of enhancing crop productivity through shelter benefits while addressing natural resource management issues including groundwater recharge. This paper presents yield data from cereal and pulse crops collected from windbreak sites through the eastern agricultural districts of South Australia, using a harvester equipped with a yield monitor. The crop response followed the expected pattern of a competition zone of reduced yield of 1–4 tree heights (H) adjacent to the windbreak followed by a shelter benefit zone of unchanged or improved yield extending out to a maximum of 20H. The yield response in the sheltered benefit zone is +3.7% for all cereals (2.2H–9.7H) and is +14.0% for all pulse crops (1.7H–10.4H). Wheat and barley have similar results, with gains in the shelter benefit zones of 4.1% and 2.1%, respectively, with windbreak competition effects resulting in net yields of 3.0% for wheat and –1.1% for barley in the sheltered zones. Faba bean (Vicia faba) shows a strong consistent response to wind shelter, with a yield increase of 19.6% in the shelter benefit zone (1.5H–19.6H) and net gain of 19.1% in the sheltered zone (crop edge at 1.0H and extending to 19.6H). The response of cereals to sheltered effects varied across the years of the survey, with net positive results in 1997 (7.4%) and 1999 (7.5%) and close to zero in 1998 and 2000. A theoretical prediction of potential crop yield based on climate for the years of the survey showed that 1997 and 1999 had lower yield potential than 2000 and 1998. This suggests that the climatic conditions occurring during the growing season also influence crop shelter responses. Where cereals are the predominant crop the net yield returns from windbreaks would be small, even if root pruning could be successfully undertaken.

Data Integration Issues in Research Supporting Sustainable Natural Resource Management

AbstractCurrent decision‐making in natural resource use and management aims at delivering ecologically‐sustainable development to achieve conservation and economic benefits. The process of guiding natural resource use requires the integration of social, economic and biophysical information on which to base management decisions. This paper discusses the integration of socio‐economic information for natural resource management (NRM) planning and decision‐making in the Australian context. A comprehensive resource of socio‐economic data is the Census, which is undertaken every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for the whole of Australia. Unfortunately there are qualitative and quantitative issues stemming from the use of ABS census data maps for NRM decision‐making, as they are at a different scale to and the boundaries do not coincide with biophysical information. These issues include the variable shape of collection districts, the use of enumerated data for population‐based statistics, the large size of collection districts in low populated areas, and the averaging of socio‐economic information over the collection districts. Examples highlight these issues and show a way forwards in improving data integration, which includes simple spatial overlay methods and regression modelling.

Contribution of simulation and gaming to natural resource management issues: An introduction

Nowadays, computer-mediated simulations and games are widely used in the field of natural resource management (NRM). They have proved to be useful for various purposes such as supporting decision-making processes and training. First, the specificities of the NRM research field are highlighted. Then, based on the analysis of the articles presented in this special issue of Simulation & Gaming , some key features related to the implementation of gaming in such a context are introduced. Finally, after reviewing the benefits of using simulation games in NRM, the authors stress the ethical issue of changing social relationships among stakeholders by playing a game with some of them.

Market-based Instruments to Achieve Sustainable Land Management Goals Relating to Agricultural Salinity Issues in Australia

There is a developing interest in Australia in the use of incentive-based policies to deal with natural resource management issues such as salinity. This compares to the previous focus on regulatory controls, suasion and in some cases, direct subsidies, to address these issues. In contrast, incentive-based mechanisms have the potential to provide greater encouragement for land managers and individual resource users to take up practices that may lead to greater individual and collective benefits. Incentive mechanisms work by using market-like processes to automatically transfer information about benefits of alternative courses of actions between participants. Key advantages of using market-like mechanisms, compared to the traditional regulatory measures, are that the desired outcomes could be met at lower costs because participants have the flexibility to vary their involvement to suit their individual circumstances. There are a range of different incentive mechanisms that could potentially be used to address salinity issues in agricultural regions. In this article, the potential role of market-based instruments in addressing agricultural salinity is reviewed.

Getting the big picture in natural resource management—systems thinking as ‘method’ for scientists, policy makers and other stakeholders

AbstractThis paper discusses the benefits of applying Systems Thinking to solving natural resource management problems. It first explains the Systems Thinking concept and briefly outlines its history and emergence in agriculture and natural resource management. A series of case studies are then presented which illustrate practical examples of how Systems Thinking has been used to address real life natural resource management issues. The case studies build on the conclusions of each other by adding additional ways (lessons learnt) of incorporating Systems Thinking into practice to address issues more systemically. The first case study deals with examples of how Systems Thinking facilitated the sharing and integration of disparate sources and forms of knowledge, and making sense of the factors influencing tree density in the tropical savanna region of northern Queensland. The second case study deals with how Systems Thinking has been imbedded in the design and implementation of a research project investigating how to improve financial returns to smallholder tree farmers in the Philippines. The third case study illustrates how Systems Thinking was used to design and facilitate an adaptive rodent management project in Cambodia based on participatory research, development and extension. From these experiences, the authors' highlight a variety of key points that lead to the proposition that Systems Thinking should be ‘absorbed’ into scientific research, in the same way that statistics, is today an integral part of all sciences. A framework for the application of Systems Thinking is presented to help improve sustainable land management. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Market-based Instruments to Achieve Sustainable Land Management Goals Relating to Agricultural Salinity Issues in Australia

There is a developing interest in Australia in the use of incentive-based policies to deal with natural resource management issues such as salinity. This compares to the previous focus on regulatory controls, suasion and in some cases, direct subsidies, to address these issues. In contrast, incentive-based mechanisms have the potential to provide greater encouragement for land managers and individual resource users to take up practices that may lead to greater individual and collective benefits. Incentive mechanisms work by using market-like processes to automatically transfer information about benefits of alternative courses of actions between participants. Key advantages of using market-like mechanisms, compared to the traditional regulatory measures, are that the desired outcomes could be met at lower costs because participants have the flexibility to vary their involvement to suit their individual circumstances. There are a range of different incentive mechanisms that could potentially be used to address salinity issues in agricultural regions. In this article, the potential role of market-based instruments in addressing agricultural salinity is reviewed.

Simulating the effects of saline and sodic subsoils on wheat crops growing on Vertosols

Soils with high levels of chloride and/or sodium in their subsurface layers are often referred to as having subsoil constraints (SSCs). There is growing evidence that SSCs affect wheat yields by increasing the lower limit of a crop’s available soil water (CLL) and thus reducing the soil’s plant-available water capacity (PAWC). This proposal was tested by simulation of 33 farmers’ paddocks in south-western Queensland and north-western New South Wales. The simulated results accounted for 79% of observed variation in grain yield, with a root mean squared deviation (RMSD) of 0.50 t/ha. This result was as close as any achieved from sites without SSCs, thus providing strong support for the proposed mechanism that SSCs affect wheat yields by increasing the CLL and thus reducing the soil’s PAWC. In order to reduce the need to measure CLL of every paddock or management zone, two additional approaches to simulating the effects of SSCs were tested. In the first approach the CLL of soils was predicted from the 0.3–0.5 m soil layer, which was taken as the reference CLL of a soil regardless of its level of SSCs, while the CLL values of soil layers below 0.5 m depth were calculated as a function of these soils’ 0.3–0.5 m CLL values as well as of soil depth plus one of the SSC indices EC, Cl, ESP, or Na. The best estimates of subsoil CLL values were obtained when the effects of SSCs were described by an ESP-dependent function. In the second approach, depth-dependent CLL values were also derived from the CLL values of the 0.3–0.5 m soil layer. However, instead of using SSC indices to further modify CLL, the default values of the water-extraction coefficient (kl) of each depth layer were modified as a function of the SSC indices. The strength of this approach was evaluated on the basis of correlation of observed and simulated grain yields. In this approach the best estimates were obtained when the default kl values were multiplied by a Cl-determined function. The kl approach was also evaluated with respect to simulated soil moisture at anthesis and at grain maturity. Results using this approach were highly correlated with soil moisture results obtained from simulations based on the measured CLL values. This research provides strong evidence that the effects of SSCs on wheat yields are accounted for by the effects of these constraints on wheat CLL values. The study also produced two satisfactory methods for simulating the effects of SSCs on CLL and on grain yield. While Cl and ESP proved to be effective indices of SSCs, EC was not effective due to the confounding effect of the presence of gypsum in some of these soils. This study provides the tools necessary for investigating the effects of SSCs on wheat crop yields and natural resource management (NRM) issues such as runoff, recharge, and nutrient loss through simulation studies. It also facilitates investigation of suggested agronomic adaptations to SSCs.

Using the EMS process as an integrative farm management tool

The use of a management process, described in the Environmental Management System (EMS) standard AS/NZS ISO 14001:2004, to develop integrated farm management plans was examined on dairy farms in Australia. Key research questions were whether the ‘Plan–Do–Check–Act’ management cycle could: (i) adequately identify diverse target areas highlighted by a range of stakeholders, (ii) assist with setting on-farm management priorities and targets, as well as planning actions and monitoring and (iii) provide for integrated management across relevant business areas. Project outcomes demonstrated that the EMS process could identify diverse targets, highlight monitoring issues, guide development of integrated farm plans and achieve business, environmental and social outcomes. Using the EMS process, and supported by skilled and knowledgeable EMS mentors, farmers devised solutions to natural resource management issues that additionally addressed farm productivity and business issues. Increased adoption of management processes inherent in EMS should lead to enhanced integration of on-farm management of environmental, quality, occupational health and safety, and social issues. It could also assist in meeting and evaluating catchment, regulatory and community outcomes.

Using Ground Water Responses to Improve Understanding of Climate Variation Impacts and Salinity Risk

Dryland salinity is a serious threat to the sustainable management of land and water in many parts of Victoria. However, the onset of dry climate conditions has reduced its priority as a natural resource management issue in recent years. Apart from the elevated need for water taking the spotlight, the dry conditions reduce the risk of salinity, temporarily at least. Questions are naturally posed about what impact that these conditions have on salinity incidence. Does salinity retreat to some or any extent? How significant is the recession or improvement, if any? Obviously, a number of other factors besides climate influence whether, and to what degree, a salt affected area alters. This paper concentrates on investigating the climate variation impacts on several ground water flow systems to gain some further insight into salinity risk in time and space, as well as management of this risk. Close observation of the landscape and analysis of the ground water level record improves knowledge about the ground water flow systems and their responsiveness to changes in climate and landscape management. A review of observation bore data has revealed considerable declines in ground water levels across northern Victoria since 1996. The dry climate conditions during this time are hypothesised to have been largely responsible for these declines despite a number of landscape factors. The declines have been accompanied by marked changes in the occurrence and spatial distribution of recharge. In upland salt-affected areas of north central Victoria, cleared crest and upper slope landscape positions, which have typically had a high potential recharge status, have recorded very little recharge since 1996. During the same time, many lower slope and discharge positions in these areas have continued to record some seasonal recharge in most years. This recharge is argued to be due more to local infiltration than aquifer throughflow and has significant implications for salinity management priorities.

Mapping whose reality? Geographic information systems (GIS) and “wild science”

In taking the landscape-scale view increasingly demanded of natural resource management, scientific assessments make considerable use of geographic information systems (GIS) maps to convey the research findings they develop. Public interaction with scientists over natural resource management issues is therefore frequently mediated by such maps, which can directly influence how the landscape is viewed, and how science findings are communicated and understood. Analysis of the Coastal Landscape Analysis and Modeling Study (CLAMS) project in western Oregon reveals that GIS maps play a significant role in how we frame and address natural resource management issues. They can support the role of privileged knowledge as held by the map makers, typically scientists, and may reinforce it by the de facto “map tyranny” that gives primacy to scientific worldviews. But they can also enable broader kinds of inquiry through multiple frames of reference, enhancing story-making opportunities for stakeholders. Which of these trajectories is followed is affected by resource availability and new perceptions of responsibility, each of which reflects social power structures. The CLAMS case study suggests that map user/non-scientists appear less likely to be victims of “map tyranny” the more familiar they are with the technology. Accordingly, they become more likely to push for usable results from it, and more confident about engaging their own knowledge with that of the map maker/scientists.

Combining top-down and bottom-up modelling approaches of land use/cover change to support public policies: Application to sustainable management of natural resources in northern Vietnam

Over recent years, the scientific community has developed different modelling methodologies of land use/cover change (LUCC) depending on their intended use, and also on the scale of investigation, disciplinary background and scientific tradition of the research teams. Consequently, each LUCC model has its own potential and constraints with respect to the needs and expectations of land use planners and policy makers. Faced with the issue of integrated management of natural resources from local to regional scales, agricultural research can benefit from reconciling top-down and bottom-up approaches to LUCC modelling. Three modelling methodologies belonging to these two LUCC approaches were applied in the province of Bac Kan in northern Vietnam. The multi-agent model SAMBA was developed through an adaptive, bottom-up process while LUPAS and CLUE contributed to a top-down process. Applying these three methodologies at the same research site allowed a critical evaluation of their respective utility for land use analysis and planning. They played complementary roles in bridging knowledge gaps and increasing interactions between stakeholders along the continuum from research to development and policy formulation. Combined use of these modelling methodologies should be promoted when complex natural resource management issues at multiple scales need to be tackled.

Integrated and comprehensive estimation of greenhouse gas emissions from land systems

Exchanges of carbon and nitrogen between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems involve a complex set of interactions affected by both natural and management processes. Understanding these processes is important for managing ecosystem productivity and sustainability. Management processes also affect the net outcome of exchanges of greenhouse gases between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. In developing a national carbon accounting system (NCAS) for Australia to account for emissions and removal of greenhouse gases to and from the atmosphere, a carbon:nitrogen mass balance ecosystem model (FullCAM) was developed. The FullCAM model is a hybrid of empirical and process modelling. The approach enables application to a wide range of natural resource management issues, because it is at land-management-relevant spatial and temporal resolution and captures the main process and management drivers. The scenario-prediction capability can be used to determine the emissions consequences of different management activities. Because, in Australia, emissions of greenhouse gases are closely related to the retention of dead organic matter and the availability of nitrogen for plant growth, the carbon and nitrogen cycling as modelled are good indicators of ecosystem productivity and condition. The NCAS also emphasizes the advantages of a comprehensive and integrated approach to developing a continental scale ecosystem-modelling system that has relevance both to estimation of greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable management of natural resources.

Managing an Endangered Asian Bovid in an Australian National Park: The Role and Limitations of Ecological-Economic Models in Decision-Making

Should north Australia's extensive populations of feral animals be eradicated for conservation, or exploited as a rare opportunity for Indigenous enterprise in remote regions? We examine options for a herd of banteng, a cattle species endangered in its native Asian range but abundant in Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, an Aboriginal land managed jointly by traditional owners and a conservation agency in the Northern Territory of Australia. We reflect on the paradoxes that arise when trying to deal effectively with such complex and contested issues in natural resource management using decision-support tools (ecological-economic models), by identifying the trade-offs inherent in protecting values whilst also providing incomes for Indigenous landowners.

Landcare and private conservation trusts: Fertile common ground?

Landcare and private conservation trusts: Fertile common ground?

Community engagement and public administration: Of silos, overlays and technologies of government

The public policy process in Australia is changing towards a more interactive, collaborative model, where governments seek to develop partnerships with civil society and private sector organisations to manage complex policy challenges. This article discusses research conducted into a project implemented by a Victorian government department that sought to involve stakeholders in addressing natural resource management issues in the agricultural sector. The research revealed that public administration practices associated with the new public management approach impeded the ability of the project to facilitate participation by diverse stakeholders in the decision‐making process. The article challenges the view that the discourse of collaboration and community engagement takes public administration down a constructivist path and suggests that agencies need to become reflexive about the way in which public administration practices are constitutive of the community engagement process if they are to facilitate genuine participation of other stakeholders.

Seeking Mechanisms for Improved Integration of Biodiversity Issues in Regional Natural Resource Management Planning

This article reviews the literature on natural resource management (NRM) planning in Australia, with particular consideration given to exploring how regions might better integrate biodiversity conservation into catchment or regional planning in ways that lead to improved biodiversity conservation practice in the field. Many of the findings of the review are generic, affecting a range of NRM issues (including biodiversity conservation) and the NRM planning process itself, whilst other findings are specific to conservation of biodiversity. Factors affecting the integration of biodiversity include the organisational characteristics of the regional NRM body, clarity in the region of the responsibilities across the three tiers of government, effective participation of stakeholders, existence of detailed NRM plans that include sound biodiversity data and management principles, access to interpreted information, use of a mix of policy instruments capable of delivering biodiversity goals, and effective monitoring...