Lithuanian Case Study Research Articles

Identification of Heracleum sosnowskyi-Invaded Land Using Earth Remote Sensing Data

H. sosnowskyi (Heracleum sosnowskyi) is a plant that is widespread both in Lithuania and other countries and causes abundant problems. The damage caused by the population of the plant is many-sided: it menaces the biodiversity of the land, poses risk to human health, and causes considerable economic losses. In order to find effective and complex measures against this invasive plant, it is very important to identify places and areas where H. sosnowskyi grows, carry out a detailed analysis, and monitor its spread to avoid leaving this process to chance. In this paper, the remote sensing methodology was proposed to identify territories covered with H. sosnowskyi plants (land classification). Two categories of land cover classification were used: supervised (human-guided) and unsupervised (calculated by software). In the application of the supervised method, the average wavelength of the spectrum of H. sosnowskyi was calculated for the classification of the RGB image and according to this, the unsupervised classification by the program was accomplished. The combination of both classification methods, performed in steps, allowed obtaining better results than using one. The application of authors’ proposed methodology was demonstrated in a Lithuanian case study discussed in this paper.

Evaluation of farming system outputs in Lithuania: methodological proposal

Agriculture produces jointly market and non-market outputs, and their supply depends on the nature of production. The role of agriculture as an economic activity and its consequences are essential for the Lithuanian case study, as agricultural land covers more than a half of the Lithuanian land. The market does not consider the positive and negative externalities created in agroecosystems. Therefore, specific techniques such as stated preferences methods are used for evaluation of non-market outputs in agriculture. Works by foreign researchers provide a comprehensive analysis of the aspects of nontradable agricultural aspects, usually focusing on evaluation of the benefit or damage to society from agricultural activity. There is lack of an integrated evaluation of farming system outputs in view of the specifics and intensity of farming. The main aim of this paper is to present construction of the methodology for integration of evaluation of farming system outputs in Lithuania, with the main focus on non-market outputs, as the values of agricultural market outputs are clear and fully revealed in official statistics. The conventional and organic farming has been selected for the Lithuanian case study. For the both farming systems, the research covers crops (including both cereals and industrials crops) and livestock (including dairy and cattle) production. The choice experiment (CE) method was selected as appropriate for evaluation of non-market outputs of different farming systems in Lithuanian agriculture. The nested logit was selected for econometric modelling of the value of non-market agricultural outputs. Applying the constructed and checked methodology, consumers’ willingness to pay for agroecosystem public goods of different farming systems will be elicited during the main survey.

MODEL FOR REGIONAL MANAGEMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC WASTE (WEEE) FLOWS

The tenacious technological development at latter decades has conditioned the growth of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) amount and generation of their waste. That is a global heterogeneous problem including different stakeholders and various aspects: environmental, economic, social and technological. The regional electrical and electronic waste (WEEE) management systems (MS) are developed in order to solve this problem. The implementation of WEEE recycling and collection targets is not obtained in every region. The transdisciplinarity and differences of every country has shown the need for integrated evaluation of the regional WEEE systems in order to regulate EEE flows and WEEE collection, treatment activities in reasonable manner. The integrated model for evaluation and regulation of regional EEE and WEEE flows is described at this article. The model is based on life cycle thinking approach (LCThA), where all the stakeholders and other impact factors in particular region are integrated and evaluated in order to create cooperation based WEEE management system instead of current national WEEE treatment system. The verification of the model is based on the Lithuanian case study.

Tackling projects on sustainability: a Lithuanian case study

Companies are increasingly coming under strong global pressure to incorporate sustainability considerations into their project decision-making process. This is where project managers play a vital role. However, how project managers approach sustainability in their daily work still has to be explored. Therefore, this article seeks to determine whether and to what extent project managers take into account sustainability in project management decision making. Research was carried out in Lithuania, selecting two industries: construction and automotive. The case study revealed that project managers in Lithuania still do not give much regard to sustainability when making their decisions. Only a limited number of sustainability criteria are taken into account by project managers in their decisions. Research also showed that a project manager gives more consideration to sustainability in project management decision making than a project team member.

Reflections on methodology for and the importance of indicators for campus sustainability – a Lithuanian case study

Aim: Provide a summary of the discussion of focus group 2 at the workshop on “Methodology for assessing the campus sustainability from the perspective of multi-level antifragility” held in June 2016 at Siauliai University (Lithuania), as well as reflection notes each of the participant wrote after the workshop. The paper shows the outcome of the process of interaction and reflections of the authors. Design / Research methods: This article contains feedback based on the experience and ideas from third year students from sustainable business from the University of Siauliai (Lithuania). Discussion took place during the workshop in focus groups. Afterwards, a discussion took place among all participating students and lecturers. After the workshop, the authors wrote individual feedback notes. These are summarized in this paper. Conclusions / findings: When using a wider set of indicators of campus sustainability showing different types of fragilities, different stakeholders need to be used as a source of information. The reason is that when not possessing information on a certain aspect, as was confirmed by this focus group, an indicator tends to be considered irrelevant. A conclusion that should be treated with care is that indicators of lying and cheating, honesty, as well as indicators of mistakes may be a good starting point for creating indicators of campus sustainability focusing at threats for organizational viability and sustainability of the university’s external environment. Originality / value of the article: The article provides critical feedback on an innovative approach towards research on campus sustainability.

Management of pharmaceutical substances in the environment: Lithuanian case study.

Investigation on the sources, discharges and related risks for the environment of the pharmaceutical substance (PhS) diclofenac (DCF) was performed in Lithuania, a country of the Baltic Sea region, for the first time. The investigation only refers to DCF as a PhS for human use; emissions from animal husbandry were not considered. In the first stage of the research, the main sources and pathways of DCF via substance flow analysis were identified within the country. During the second stage, DCF flows along the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in two different cities were measured in order to assess the current levels of pharmaceutical residues in the environment. Furthermore, environmental risk assessment was carried out by taking into account the parameters of consumption data and elimination rate in WWTPs. Then, the assessment of different technical and managerial removal approaches was accomplished in an environmental management model of wastewater containing PhS, based on the framework of environmental systems theory.

Framework for assessing the farm relative sustainability: a Lithuanian case study

The aim of the study was to develop an analytical tool to assess the relative sustainability of family farms using the FADN data. This tool was based on the set of 23 indicators that covered three main components of sustainability (economic, environmental and social). The min-max approach was employed to normalise the selected indicators expressed in variety dimensions for their need to be put on a common basis. The factor analysis was used to estimate weights for the selected indicators to construct sub-indices and then the sub-indices were aggregated into the farm relative sustainability index (FRSI). The FRSI and sub-indices ranged from 0 to 1 (scaled into three intervals), assuming that the closer to 1 were the values of the index and the sub-indices the higher was the relative sustainability of the farm. The analytical tool has been applied to the Lithuanian FADN database for 2003 and 2012. The research revealed that the FRSI in 2003 and 2012 fell within the medium sustainability interval in all analysed farm size classes. The best sustainability situation in the year 2003 was determined on the large-sized farms, while the best sustainability situation in the year 2012 was established on the mid-sized farms.

Owner mapping for forest scenario modelling — A Lithuanian case study

Ample research on private forest owners (PFOs) has established high heterogeneity in owners' objectives, motivations and management decisions. Such heterogeneity is, however, rarely taken into account in forest scenario modelling. This study, in contrast, conducts a detailed forest owner mapping that feeds into simulations of ecosystem services (ES) under alternative future scenarios. First, we identify four private forest owner types (FOT) – Forest Businessmen, Household Foresters, Passive Forest Lovers, and Ad Hoc Owners through in-depth interviews and qualitative analyses on a case study area in western Lithuania. Next, each forest estate and forest compartment is assigned a FOT by combining the property registry and forest characteristics with opinions of two types of local experts: state forest managers and inspectors from the State Forest Service. Third, a set of forest management (FM) programmes is specified using field interviews and desktop research, FM records, and expert judgement for each forest compartment. Finally, ES provision is projected using a behavioural matrix combining management styles of FOTs with details of FM programmes. We simulate the dynamics of profits from forestry activities, accumulated carbon in live biomass and tree species diversity under a reference scenario without substantial changes; and a policy intervention scenario. The study demonstrates that treating forest owners as a homogenous group overestimates profits from timber and underestimates the provision of the other analysed ES, potentially misinforming policy decisions.

Research on Competencies of Human Resources in Transport Sector: Lithuanian Case Study

The primary goal of each organization is to maximize the profits, take the larger share of the market or to provide the best service possible. In order to implement this goal, organizations must have unique resources, i.e. – human resources. Effective management of human resources is an important factor in achieving the goals and benefits of an organization, individual and society. No less important is the acquired qualifications and competencies of the employees. There are cases when the lack of competencies encourages the employers to seek for certain alternatives: either exchange young specialists into experienced ones or invest in them time and money. Additional investments are expensive for the companies, especially in the areas where quick orientation in the current situation is required (eg. Transport sector). Therefore, a qualified transport specialist is a great asset of the company. Theoretical aspects of human resources are discussed in the paper. On the basis of diverse works of the authors, the paper analyses and discusses management processes, human resource competencies in transport sector, issues and perspectives, as well as provides the results of the research.

Sustainability Aspects of Real Estate Development: Lithuanian Case Study of Sports and Entertainment Arenas

The principles of sustainability have become particularly important in the real estate and construction sector over the past decade. Despite extended efforts to evaluate the sustainability aspects of the real estate development, very few attempts have been exposed in the scientific literature pursuing integrating the investors and real estate developers’ responsibility for the local community, regional economy and environmental problems within their financial expectations. The paper presents methodology enabling evaluating the balance of real estate development sustainability and financial viability issues during the feasibility study process. The Model for Real Estate Investment Evaluation Based on Sustainable Development Aspects proposed by the authors was applied to the case study of Lithuanian sports and entertainment arenas. By using multi-criteria decision analysis sustainability assessment of multi-functional arenas was carried out which disclosed that positive sustainability effects lays down on the owner’s and operator’s monetary liabilities.

The influence of the environmental management system on the environmental impact of seaport companies during an economic crisis: Lithuanian case study.

Freight handling in EU ports fell by more than 12 % during the global economic crisis in 2008-2009 after almost a decade of continuous growth. The decrease of freight handling in the Klaipeda seaport, the only port in Lithuania, was 6.7 % and happened due to the dominant outward movement of goods (mainly oil products). The Klaipeda seaport, due to its peculiarity, is the only ice-free port in the northern part of Baltic Sea. The present study explores the environmental impact of Klaipeda seaport activities from 2001 to 2011. Moreover, it compares the environmental effectiveness of environmental protection strategies used in the four biggest companies that, in fact, cover about 88 % of total activities (except general cargo) of the seaport. The first group of targeted companies used an environmental protection strategy to implement an ISO 14001-based environmental management system, and the second group selected to follow environmental management practices without certification. The paper analyses the development of the companies' activities in regard to the change of environmental effectiveness. The paper evaluates the pressure of the economic crisis on the companies' activities and its influence on environmental decisions, with particular interest in the ability of different environmental protection systems to resist and handle the expected performance. The study identified a significant decrease in companies' activities during the crisis period. However, the economic activities and environmental effectiveness demonstrated similar short-term tendencies in regard to the environmental strategy selection but differed in long-term perspective.

Phenomenological versus Instructional Approach to Curriculum Formation for Sustainable Development: A Lithuanian Case Study

The policy and philosophy of school curriculum formation in this article is interpreted from phenomenological and critical pedagogy perspectives. The main features of the phenomenology, set against the instructional method for an individual’s development, and his/her relationship with the surroundings, are herein explicated. The distinction between these two methodological standpoints towards sustainable development results is presented using the Lithuanian case. The research hypotheses tested are: the Lithuanian common curriculum is not convenient for teaching dialogue and critical thinking and furthermore cannot help foster students’ abilities to understand unique world phenomena. Content analysis results of the national curriculum presented in this article help prove the tested hypotheses. Improving the curriculum appears to be merely an imitation of change and one that produces new instructions for setting limitations upon teachers’ creativity.

Toward the rational use of forest biomass: Lithuanian case study

 This paper contains the information about some principles of sustainable forestry which are still relevant in the world. In 2002, Lithuania started research on the nutrient balance in forest ecosystems when the forest fuel is harvested. The consequences of the intensive forest fuel harvesting on the forest ecosystem were analysed. At the same time, the experiment on the compensatory wood ash fertilizing was established in Lithuania. After the initial calculations, having the experimental data, the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania has initiated the preparation of the Recommendations for compensating wood ash fertilization in the forests. This review briefly systematizes and analyses the main results of the related research and some ideas for the future studies are also presented.    

Contribution of ambient ozone to Scots pine defoliation and reduced growth in the Central European forests: A Lithuanian case study

The study aimed to explore if changes in crown defoliation and stem growth of Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) could be related to changes in ambient ozone (O(3)) concentration in central Europe. To meet this objective the study was performed in 3 Lithuanian national parks, close to the ICP integrated monitoring stations from which data on meteorology and pollution were provided. Contribution of peak O(3) concentrations to the integrated impact of acidifying compounds and meteorological parameters on pine stem growth was found to be more significant than its contribution to the integrated impact of acidifying compounds and meteorological parameters on pine defoliation. Findings of the study provide statistical evidence that peak concentrations of ambient O(3) can have a negative impact on pine tree crown defoliation and stem growth reduction under field conditions in central and northeastern Europe where the AOT40 values for forests are commonly below their phytotoxic levels.

Development of an indicator model and ranking of sustainable revitalization alternatives of derelict property: a Lithuanian case study

The paper deals with the problem of the redevelopment of derelict buildings and abandoned sites as a complex issue that includes environmental, social and economic aspects. The objective of the research was to suggest a model for determining the rational revitalization of derelict immovable property from the perspective of sustainable development. The authors assume that a multi-criterion analysis is an appropriate technique to use to assure equilibrium among various domains of sustainability. When taking into account the uncertainty of a problem, calculations using the fuzzy version of the TOPSIS method were proposed. The development of a model for determining revitalization priorities of abandoned buildings was based on a case study of derelict rural buildings in Lithuania. A set of indicators was defined and used to perform the multi-criterion analysis of revitalization alternatives of the derelict buildings. Based on results from calculations, scientific recommendations for a rational revitalization of buildings and their sites were prepared. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

EVALUATION OF BUILDINGS’ REDEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVES WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE MULTIPARTITE SUSTAINABILITY

The authors analyse the problem of derelict buildings’ redevelopment by means of multi criterion decision‐making techniques. The aim of the research is to rank derelict buildings’ redevelopment alternatives from the multiple sustainability approach. Moreover, handling of MCDM techniques is discussed. The MCDM techniques used are: technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and compromise ranking method (VIKOR). A Lithuanian case study is presented to illustrate similarities and differences of ranking results using these methods in particular situation. The comparisons of the results after multiple criteria analysis implementation are made in the paper and scientific recommendations for a sustainable redevelopment of derelict buildings in Lithuanian rural areas are suggested on a basis of calculations.

An analysis of bias insamizdatsources: A Lithuanian case study

An analysis of bias in<i>samizdat</i>sources: A Lithuanian case study

The Protest Uses of Symbolic Politics in the USSR

Previous articleNext article No AccessArticlesThe Protest Uses of Symbolic Politics in the USSRDavid KowalewskiDavid Kowalewski Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Journal of Politics Volume 42, Number 2May, 1980 Sponsored by the Southern Political Science Association Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/2130468 Views: 20Total views on this site Citations: 8Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1980 Southern Political Science AssociationPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Nicholas Michelsen The Political Subject of Self-immolation, Globalizations 12, no.11 (Oct 2014): 83–100.https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2014.971540Vjeran Pavlaković Croatia, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and General Gotovina as a Political Symbol, Europe-Asia Studies 62, no.1010 (Nov 2010): 1707–1740.https://doi.org/10.1080/09668136.2010.522426James C. Franklin Contentious Challenges and Government Responses in Latin America, Political Research Quarterly 62, no.44 (Sep 2008): 700–714.https://doi.org/10.1177/1065912908322405James C. Franklin Shame on You: The Impact of Human Rights Criticism on Political Repression in Latin America, International Studies Quarterly 52, no.11 (Mar 2008): 187–211.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2478.2007.00496.xDavid Kowalewski Protest symbology: Political content and demonstration outcomes, Aggressive Behavior 12, no.33 (Jan 1986): 183–195.https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-2337(1986)12:3&lt;183::AID-AB2480120305&gt;3.0.CO;2-0Thomas Oleszczuk An analysis of bias in samizdat sources: A Lithuanian case study, Soviet Studies 37, no.11 (Nov 2007): 131–137.https://doi.org/10.1080/09668138508411572David Kowalewski, Paul Schumaker Protest Outcomes in the Soviet Union, The Sociological Quarterly 22, no.11 (Dec 2016): 57–68.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1533-8525.1981.tb02208.xDavid Kowalewski, Paul Schumaker Protest Outcomes in the Soviet Union*, The Sociological Quarterly 22, no.11 (Dec 1980): 57–68.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1533-8525.1980.tb01935.x