Ecological Systems Model Research Articles

Family building desires among transgender and gender expansive adolescents: A longitudinal family-level analysis

Introduction Professional societies state that Transgender and gender expansive (TGE) adolescents and their families should be counseled about future family building options prior to initiating gender affirming therapy. While emerging data show that TGE adolescents have diverse desires regarding future family building, little is known regarding how these preferences are developed in a larger ecological context. Aim The current study used Ecological Systems Theory as a framework to describe the family building attitudes of TGE adolescents, their caregivers, and their siblings. Methods Participants were recruited from community-based venues in the New England region of the U.S. to participate in the TTFN Project, a longitudinal community-based mixed methods study. The sample for the current study included 84 family members from 30 families (30 TGE adolescents, 11 siblings, 44 caregivers). All participants completed a semi-structured qualitative interview about family building attitudes and desires for TGE and cisgender adolescents at two waves across 6-8 months. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a combination of immersion/crystallization, thematic analysis, and template organizing style approaches. The Transgender Youth Fertility Attitudes Questionnaire (TYFAQ) was employed to quantitatively describe the family building attitudes of TGE adolescents and their families. Results Eight themes corresponding to the levels of the ecological systems model – individual-level (perceived reproductive potential, reproductive identity), family-level (communication about family building, familial experiences and expectations), community-level (community support and role models; community expectations and norms), and societal/institutional-level (medicalization of family building, external sociopolitical factors) – were developed from the interviews. Results from the TYFAQ indicated that compared to cisgender adolescents, TGE adolescents were less likely to value having biological children and more likely to consider adoption in comparison to their cisgender siblings. Discussion Findings emphasize the importance of using Ecological Systems Theory to understand the family building attitudes and desires of TGE adolescents and their families.

Treatment considerations for foreign-born victims of human trafficking: Practical applications of an ecological framework.

Foreign-born individuals immigrating to or residing in the United States are especially vulnerable to exploitation by traffickers. Being trafficked elevates the risk for a variety of physical and mental health problems; thus, victims will often come into contact with health professionals. Because there is a dearth of literature concerning the treatment of human trafficking victims, and especially foreign-born victims, we set out to describe the practical applications of a model that we use for the mental health treatment of victimization in this population. As has been suggested by leaders in the anti-human trafficking community, we employed a culturally sensitive version of Bronfrenbrenner's Ecological Systems Model to provide recommendations and educational resources for treatment at the individual, interpersonal, community, and societal levels. Our recommendations should serve to inform and improve the provision of care for foreign-born victims of human trafficking.

The contributions of Alfred Adler (1870–1937) to the understanding of early childhood development

ABSTRACT This paper presents a biographical profile of Alfred Adler aiming to provide a measured overview of the impact of Alfred Adler's work on the theoretical paradigms and research avenues of contemporary developmental psychology. The key concepts of his theory are exposed: Feeling of Inferiority, Strive to Overcome, Style of Life, Superiority Complex and Social Interest. This article outlines his contributions to humanistic psychology and neo-psychoanalysis, his influence on the work of Lev Vigotsky, his key role in establishing the ecological systems models used today in developmental psychology and his educational and public health-oriented approach, which focused on how social context influences childhood development. It also describes the avenues of research he identified in developmental psychology, including the impact of sibling relations on childhood development, the importance of self-esteem and altruistic behaviour. Finally, the paper proposes the use of a holistic model to advance the study of human psychological development.

“I Needed to Aim Higher:” Former Foster Youths’ Pathways to College Success

Although former foster youth desire to pursue higher education, childhood trauma and educational instability, among other experiences, contribute to low college enrollment and completion rates. Through the lens of the ecological systems model, the researchers sought to understand the internal and external factors that former foster youth believe have contributed to or impeded their choices to attend and ability to navigate college. Twenty-three former foster youth currently enrolled in a college or university participated in semi-structured interviews that asked them to explain influences on their preparation for pursuing higher education, their decisions to attend college, and their ability to navigate college life successfully. Findings indicated that youth relied on caregivers, high school counselors, social workers, and child welfare staff who prepared them for college and helped make decisions to apply. They also reported internal motivations to attend college. In college, they relied on campus resources (e.g., extra-curricular activities, faculty) to navigate college life. They reported lingering family problems, lack of family support, and racial/ethnic stereotyping on campus that impacted their college experiences. Their stress was managed by seeking counseling and increasing their campus involvement. Implications suggest that supportive resources should be holistic and include pre- and post-college enrollment academic guidance, family and fictive kin support, positive peer relationships, child welfare agency support, and elimination of social stigmas that can undermine youths’ sense of self-efficacy and future. With increased awareness of needs, colleges or universities and professionals will be better equipped to implement targeted supports for this unique, non-traditional population.

Factors related to the turnover intention of Korea dental hygienists based on ecological systems model : a systematic review & meta analysis

Factors related to the turnover intention of Korea dental hygienists based on ecological systems model : a systematic review & meta analysis

Responsible biosecurity and risk mitigation for laboratory research on emerging pathogens of amphibians.

The increasing study of emerging wildlife pathogens and a lack of policy or legislation regulating their translocation and use has heightened concerns about laboratory escape, species spillover, and subsequent epizootics among animal populations. Responsible self-regulation by research laboratories, in conjunction with institutional-level safeguards, has an important role in mitigating pathogen transmission and spillover, as well as potential interspecies pathogenesis. A model system in disease ecology that highlights these concerns and related amelioration efforts is research focused on amphibian emerging infectious diseases. Whereas laboratory escape of amphibian pathogens has not been reported and may be rare compared with introduction events from trade or human globalization, the threat that novel disease outbreaks with mass mortality effects pose to wild populations warrants thorough biosecurity measures to ensure containment and prevent spillover. Here, we present a case study of the laboratory biosecurity concerns for the emerging amphibian fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans. We conclude that proactive biosecurity strategies are needed to integrate researcher and institutional oversight of aquatic wildlife pathogens generally, and we call for increased national and international policy and legislative enforcement. Furthermore, taking professional responsibility beyond current regulations is needed as development of legal guidance can be slow at national and international levels. We outline the need for annual laboratory risk assessments, comprehensive training for all laboratory personnel, and appropriate safeguards specific to pathogens under study. These strategies are critical for upholding the integrity and credibility of the scientific community and maintaining public support for research on wildlife diseases.

Demonstration of urban environmental protection planning and ecological construction index system

Environmental protection has always been an issue that our country attaches great importance to. Although China's economy has developed rapidly in recent years, environmental protection construction is still in its infancy. This paper analyses the urban planning and ecological environment protection construction in depth, uses the multi-level grey correlation method to determine the influence weight of each factor, and establishes the urban ecological evaluation index system and evaluation model on the level. At the same time, take Shenzhen as an example to analyse the status quo and trends of indicators, analyse Shenzhen's advantages and resistance in urban ecological construction, and provide basic data of constructive significance for Shenzhen's ecological construction, so as to build a harmonious development between humans and nature, provide reference information for sustainable cities with a high degree of social and economic integration.

Human Ecological Systems Shaping College Readiness of Filipino K-12 Graduates: A Mixed-Method Multiple Case Analysis

How ready are the K-12 graduates in the Philippines? What environmental conditions shape their college readiness? How do these conditions help to prepare them to transition from basic to tertiary education seamlessly and effectively? This study answers these questions by utilizing a mixed-method multiple case study design framed within the Human Ecological Systems Model. The 7,238 respondents and 28 study participants were first-year students enrolled in one state university in northern Philippines. Results revealed that the Filipino K-12 graduates demonstrated less preparedness for college education. The variables under human ecological systems influencing their college readiness include sex, gender, birth order (individual system), parents’ monthly income (microsystem), type of senior high school (SHS) graduated and track taken in SHS (mesosystem), parents’ location of employment (exosystem); and ethnicity and parents’ educational attainment (macrosystem). Such findings prove that college readiness among K-12 graduates is not solely dependent on their cognitive abilities but is a confluence of environmental conditions from the individual to macrosystems. Thus, the human ecological system serves as a functional frame in understanding factors shaping the college readiness of K-12 graduates and it is recommended that the conditions under each system must be considered as valuable inputs for basic education in preparing K-12 students for college life.

How can social–ecological system models simulate the emergence of social–ecological crises?

Abstract The idea that human impacts on natural systems might trigger large‐scale, social–ecological ‘crises’ or ‘breakdowns’ is attracting increasing scientific, societal and political attention, but the risks of such crises remain hard to assess or ameliorate. Social–ecological systems have complex dynamics, with bifurcations, nonlinearities and tipping points all emerging from the interaction of multiple human and natural processes. Computational modelling is a key tool in understanding these processes and their effects on system resilience. However, models that operate over large geographical extents often rely on assumptions such as economic equilibrium and optimisation in social–economic systems, and mean‐field or trend‐based behaviour in ecological systems, which limit the simulation of crisis dynamics. Alternative forms of modelling focus on simulating local‐scale processes that underpin the dynamics of social–ecological systems. Recent improvements in data resources and computational tools mean that such modelling is now technically feasible across large geographical extents. We consider the contributions that the different types of model can make to simulating social–ecological crises. While no models are able to predict exact outcomes in complex social–ecological systems, we suggest that one new approach with substantial promise is hybrid modelling that uses existing model architectures to isolate and understand key processes, revealing risks and associated uncertainties of crises emerging. We outline convergent and efficient functional descriptions of social and ecological systems that can be used to develop such models, data resources that can support them, and possible ‘high‐level’ processes that they can represent. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article

Supporting Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management in meeting multiple objectives for sustainable use of coral reef ecosystems

Abstract Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management is a holistic management approach that integrates the dynamics of an entire ecosystem, including societal dimensions. However, this approach seldom lives up to its promise because economic and social objectives are rarely specified. To fill this gap, we explored how an ecosystem model could better integrate economic and social objectives, using the coral reef ecosystem around Hawai`i as a case study. After meeting with stakeholders and conducting a literature review of policy/strategy documents, we identified societal and ecological objectives and associated performance indicators for which data existed. We developed a social–ecological system conceptual framework to illustrate the relationships between ecological and social state components. This framework was the foundation for the development of the final social–ecological system model which we simulated using an Ecopath with Ecosim model. We simulated four gear/species restrictions for the reef-based fishery, two fishing scenarios associated with the opening of hypothetical no-take Marine Protected Areas for the deepwater-based fishery, and a Constant Effort (No Action) scenario. Despite limitations in the model, our approach shows that when social and economic objectives and social–ecological relationships are defined, we can quantify the trade-offs among the identified societal objectives to support managers in choosing among alternative interventions.

The Evolution of Sex is Tempered by Costly Hybridization in Boechera (Rock Cress).

Despite decades of research, the evolution of sex remains an enigma in evolutionary biology. Typically, research addresses the costs of sex and asexuality to characterize the circumstances favoring one reproductive mode. Surprisingly few studies address the influence of common traits that are, in many organisms, obligately correlated with asexuality, including hybridization and polyploidy. These characteristics have substantial impacts on traits under selection. In particular, the fitness consequences of hybridization (i.e., reduced fitness due to interspecific reproductive isolation) will influence the evolution of sex. This may comprise a cost of either sex or asexuality due to the link between hybridity and asexuality. We examined reproductive isolation in the formation of de novo hybrid lineages between 2 widespread species in the ecological model system Boechera. Seventeen percent of 664 crosses produced F1 fruits, and only 10% of these were viable, suggesting that postmating prezygotic and postzygotic barriers inhibit hybrid success in this system. The postmating prezygotic barrier was asymmetrical, with 110 of 115 total F1 fruits produced when Boechera stricta acted as maternal parent. This asymmetry was confirmed in wild-collected lineages, using a chloroplast phylogeny of wild-collected B. stricta, Boechera retrofracta, and hybrids. We next compared fitness of F2 hybrids and selfed parental B. stricta lines, finding that F2 fitness was reduced by substantial hybrid sterility. Multiple reproductively isolating barriers influence the formation and fitness of hybrid lineages in the wild, and the costs of hybridization likely have profound impacts on the evolution of sex in the natural environment.

Host specificity of microbiome assembly and its fitness effects in phytoplankton.

Insights into symbiosis between eukaryotic hosts and their microbiomes have shifted paradigms on what determines host fitness, ecology, and behavior. Questions remain regarding the roles of host versus environment in shaping microbiomes, and how microbiome composition affects host fitness. Using a model system in ecology, phytoplankton, we tested whether microbiomes are host-specific, confer fitness benefits that are host-specific, and remain conserved in time in their composition and fitness effects. We used an experimental approach in which hosts were cleaned of bacteria and then exposed to bacterial communities from natural environments to permit recruitment of microbiomes. We found that phytoplankton microbiomes consisted of a subset of taxa recruited from these natural environments. Microbiome recruitment was host-specific, with host species explaining more variation in microbiome composition than environment. While microbiome composition shifted and then stabilized over time, host specificity remained for dozens of generations. Microbiomes increased host fitness, but these fitness effects were host-specific for only two of the five species. The shifts in microbiome composition over time amplified fitness benefits to the hosts. Overall, this work solidifies the importance of host factors in shaping microbiomes and elucidates the temporal dynamics of microbiome compositional and fitness effects.

Size Shapes the Active Microbiome of Methanogenic Granules, Corroborating a Biofilm Life Cycle.

Methanogenic archaea are key players in cycling organic matter in nature but also in engineered waste treatment systems, where they generate methane, which can be used as a renewable energy source. In such systems in the built environment, complex methanogenic consortia are known to aggregate into highly organized, spherical granular biofilms comprising the interdependent microbial trophic groups mediating the successive stages of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process. This study separated methanogenic granules into a range of discrete size fractions, hypothesizing different biofilm growth stages, and separately supplied each with specific substrates to stimulate the activity of key AD trophic groups, including syntrophic acid oxidizers and methanogens. Rates of specific methanogenic activity were measured, and amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA gene transcripts was used to resolve phylotranscriptomes across the series of size fractions. Increased rates of methane production were observed in each of the size fractions when hydrogen was supplied as the substrate compared with those of volatile fatty acids (acetate, propionate, and butyrate). This was connected to a shift toward hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis dominated by Methanobacterium and Methanolinea Interestingly, the specific active microbiomes measured in this way indicated that size was significantly more important than substrate in driving the structure of the active community in granules. Multivariate integration studywise discriminant analysis identified 56 genera shaping changes in the active community across both substrate and size. Half of those were found to be upregulated in the medium-sized granules, which were also the most active and potentially of the most important size, or life stage, for precision management of AD systems.IMPORTANCE Biological wastewater conversion processes collectively constitute one of the single biggest worldwide applications of microbial communities. There is an obvious requirement, therefore, to study the microbial systems central to the success of such technologies. Methanogenic granules, in particular, are architecturally fascinating biofilms that facilitate highly organized cooperation within the metabolic network of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process and, thus, are especially intriguing model systems for microbial ecology. This study, in a way not previously reported, provoked syntrophic and methanogenic activity and the structure of the microbial community, using specific substrates targeting the key trophic groups in AD. Unexpectedly, granule size more strongly than substrate shaped the active portion of the microbial community. Importantly, the findings suggest the size, or age, of granules inherently shapes the active microbiome linked to a life cycle. This provides exciting insights into the function of, and the potential for additional modeling of biofilm development in, methanogenic granules.

Chytrid fungi shape bacterial communities on model particulate organic matter.

Microbial colonization and degradation of particulate organic matter (POM) are important processes that influence the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems. Although POM is readily used by aquatic fungi and bacteria, there is a limited understanding of POM-associated interactions between these taxa, particularly for early-diverging fungal lineages. Using a model ecological system with the chitin-degrading freshwater chytrid fungus Rhizoclosmatium globosum and chitin microbeads, we assessed the impacts of chytrid fungi on POM-associated bacteria. We show that the presence of chytrids on POM alters concomitant bacterial community diversity and structure, including differing responses between chytrid life stages. We propose that chytrids can act as ecosystem facilitators through saprotrophic feeding by producing ‘public goods’ from POM degradation that modify bacterial POM communities. This study suggests that chytrid fungi have complex ecological roles in aquatic POM degradation not previously considered, including the regulation of bacterial colonization, community succession and subsequent biogeochemical potential.

Model laboratories: A quick-start guide for design of simulation experiments for dynamic systems models

The use of dynamic systems models by scientists, managers, and policy-makers is becoming more common due to the increasingly complex nature of ecological and socio-economic problems. Unfortunately, most scientific training in the life sciences only includes dynamic modeling as elective, supplementary courses at a beginners-level, which is not conducive to generating the expertise needed to properly develop, test, and learn from dynamic modeling approaches and risks utilization of poor quality models and adoption of unreliable recommendations. The objective of this paper is to fill part of that gap, particularly regarding model experimentation, by summarizing key concepts in experimental design for simulation experiments and illustrating hands-on examples of experiments needed for developing a deeper understanding of complex, dynamic systems. The experiments include extreme conditions testing, sensitivity analyses of model behaviors given variation in both parameter values and graphical (table) functions, and “what-if?” experiments (e.g., counterfactual trajectories, boundary-adequacy tests, and intervention threshold experiments). Each experimental example describes the theoretical foundation of the test, illustrates its application using an ecological systems model, and increases in degree of difficulty from novice to advanced skill levels. By doing so, we demonstrate consistent, scientific means to glean valuable insights about the model's structure-behavior link, uncover any unforeseen model flaws or incorrect formulations, and enhance the confidence (validity) of the model for its intended use.

Sperm Morphology and Male Age in Black-Throated Blue Warblers, an Ecological Model System.

Simple SummarySperm cell characteristics can impact the number of offspring a male sires, particularly when females copulate with more than one male in a reproductive cycle. Females copulate with multiple males in many songbird species, but for many of these species, little is known about sperm characteristics. In this paper, we examine the shape of sperm cells in black-throated blue warblers, a species where multiple copulations are common but where sperm morphology was previously unknown. Sperm shape did not correlate with plumage characteristics that may make males more successful at gaining copulation partners. However, older males tended to have longer sperm cells. Previous work shows that older males sire more offspring, and work in other species indicates that longer sperm cells are more effective at fertilizing eggs. Thus, sperm shape may help explain the higher success of older males in this species. Extra-pair paternity may drive selection on spermatozoa and ejaculate characteristics through sperm competition and cryptic female choice. Here, we examine sperm morphology in the black-throated blue warbler (Setophaga caerulescens), an ecological model species where extra-pair paternity is frequent and is linked with male age. We test whether sperm morphology relates to several aspects of male phenotype known or suspected to affect extra-pair paternity success. Sperm morphology did not correlate with the size of the white wing spot, a social status signal, nor with the volume of the cloacal protuberance. However, older males tended to have longer sperm cells. Although the sample size was limited, this pattern is intriguing, as longer cells may be advantageous in post-copulatory sexual selection and older males have larger testes and higher extra-pair paternity success in this species. Changes in sperm morphology with age are not observed in other birds, though they have been observed in insects and fishes. More research on sperm morphology is needed to clarify its role in extra-pair fertilizations in this well-studied species.

The effect of summer drought on the predictability of local extinctions in a butterfly metapopulation.

The ecological impacts of extreme climatic events on population dynamics and community composition are profound and predominantly negative. Using extensive data of an ecological model system, we tested whether predictions from ecological models remain robust when environmental conditions are outside the bounds of observation. We observed a 10-fold demographic decline of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) metapopulation on the Åland islands, Finland in the summer of 2018 and used climatic and satellite data to demonstrate that this year was an anomaly with low climatic water balance values and low vegetation productivity indices across Åland. Population growth rates were strongly associated with spatiotemporal variation in climatic water balance. Covariates shown previously to affect the extinction probability of local populations in this metapopulation were less informative when populations were exposed to severe drought during the summer months. Our results highlight the unpredictable responses of natural populations to extreme climatic events.

Beyond rock–paper–scissors systems — Deterministic models of cyclic ecological systems with more than three species

We consider cyclic ecological systems consisting of more than three species, extending the well-studied three-species rock–paper–scissors (RPS) system. For such systems alliance and partial alliance states consisting of non-competing species can form, a phenomenon not present in classical RPS systems. We develop, analyze and simulate a May–Leonard type model accounting for cyclic dynamics and spatial diffusion. We analyze in detail four-species and five-species systems, determine dynamics for both spatially homogeneous initial conditions (i.e., ode models) and the propagation and interaction of patches of different species driven by diffusion and the cyclic dynamics (pde models). We show markedly different behavior between the four-and five-species models, with alliance states as stable steady states for the former whereas both coexistence of all species and heteroclinic cycles are possible stable outcomes for the latter. Finally, we discuss the extension of this even/odd split to systems with more than five species.

Toward a Framework for Resilience Assessments: Working Across Cultures, Disciplines, and Scales in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Resilience appears within diverse literatures across the physical and social sciences, pervades social and ecological systems models and has been mobilised in the quest to change environmental practices at local and international levels. Yet common language is needed to enable cross-disciplinary conversations. We discuss a novel interdisciplinary process identifying shared terminology and developing a framework to facilitate the integration of physical and social science understandings of urban infrastructure and resilience in urban systems. Drawing on bicultural knowledge traditions unique to Aotearoa/New Zealand, we reflect on resilience as a system property having ecological, social, economic and technical dimensions that influence wellbeing and sustainability outcomes. .

Factors Associated with Successful Aging among Community-Dwelling Older Adults Based on Ecological System Model.

This study was conducted to identify the factors associated with successful aging in older adults based on the ecological system model. Data from the 2017 National Survey of the Living Conditions of Korean Elderly were used. Participants comprised 10,074 older adults. The three principal components in the successful aging model developed by Rowe and Kahn, “absence of disease and disease-related disability,” “maintenance of high mental and physical function,” and “continued engagement with life,” were used to determine successful aging. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-squared test, t-test, and logistic regression. The study results showed that the correlation factors were age, sex, educational level, economic status, heavy drinking, subjective health status, and health screening in the individual system; living arrangement, satisfaction with spouse, and frequency of contacting family, siblings, and relatives in the family system; and the frequency of contacting neighbors and friends, number of close neighbors and friends, and accessibility of neighborhood facilities in the community system. This study is significant because it confirms that individual characteristics and the environmental systems surrounding older adults should be considered for successful aging; it is necessary to develop and apply healthcare intervention programs that consider both of these aspects.