Conservation Paradigm Research Articles

Applying assessments of adaptive capacity to inform natural-resource management in a changing climate.

Adaptive capacity (AC)-the ability of a species to cope with or accommodate climate change-is a critical determinant of species vulnerability. Using information on species' AC in conservation planning is key to ensuring successful outcomes. We identified connections between a list of species' attributes (e.g., traits, population metrics, and behaviors) that were recently proposed for assessing species' AC and management actions that may enhance AC for species at risk of extinction. Management actions were identified based on evidence from the literature, a review of actions used in other climate adaptation guidance, and our collective experience in diverse fields of global-change ecology and climate adaptation. Selected management actions support the general AC pathways of persist in place or shift in space, in response to contemporary climate change. Some actions, such as genetic manipulations, can be used to directly alter the ability of species to cope with climate change, whereas other actions can indirectly enhance AC by addressing ecological or anthropogenic constraints on the expression of a species' innate abilities to adapt. Ours is the first synthesis of potential management actions directly linked to AC. Focusing on AC attributes helps improve understanding of how and why aspects of climate are affecting organisms, as well as the mechanisms by which management interventions affect a species' AC and climate change vulnerability. Adaptive-capacity-informed climate adaptation is needed to build connections among the causes of vulnerability, AC, and proposed management actions that can facilitate AC and reduce vulnerability in support of evolving conservation paradigms.

Thinking Like a Mountain: Exploring the Potential of Relational Approaches for Transformative Nature Conservation

Building on a review of current mainstream paradigms of nature conservation, the essence of transformations necessary for effective and lasting change are presented—namely, convivial solutions (or ‘living with others’), in which relationality and an appreciation of our interdependencies are central, in contrast to life-diminishing models of individualism and materialism/secularism. We offer several areas for improvement centred on regenerative solutions, moving beyond conventional environmental protection or biophysical restoration and focusing instead on critical multidimensional relationships—amongst people and between people and the rest of nature. We focus, in particular, on the potential of people’s values and worldviews to inform morality (guiding principles and/or beliefs about right and wrong) and ethics (societal rules defining acceptable behaviour), which alone can nurture the just transformations needed for nature conservation and sustainability at all scales. Finally, we systematize the potential of regenerative solutions against a backdrop of relational approaches in sustainability sciences. In so doing, we contribute to current endeavours of the conservation community for more inclusive conservation, expanding beyond economic valuations of nature and protected areas to include more holistic models of governance that are premised on relationally-oriented value systems.

Ecological integrity is both real and valuable

AbstractEcological integrity has been criticized as a “bad fit as a value” for conservation biology and restoration ecology. But work over the past four decades centered on ecological integrity—especially biological integrity—has given rise to effective methods for biological monitoring and assessment to better understand the disintegration of living systems, including under scenarios of rapid climate change. Revealing when and where living systems have been altered by human activity, such methods have been adapted and applied most comprehensively in streams and rivers, but also in other ecosystems, ranging from tropical forests to marine coral reefs and on all continents except Antarctica. Equally important, restoration and maintenance of biological integrity is already a fundamental goal in law and offers an inspiring framework for communication and engagement—among scientists, resource managers, law‐ and policymakers, and the public. This essay builds the case that ecological integrity has proved both real and valuable as a conservation paradigm.

Biosphere Reserves in Lebanon: Rifts between Conservation Discourse and Practice

Protected areas (PA), especially biosphere reserves (BR), are considered effective instruments for nature conservation and rural development. However, their impact on rural communities constitutes the most controversial debate in conservation policy and practice. This study aims to reveal the perceptions of local communities towards conservation, the extent of the inclusion of local communities in the establishment and management of a BR and the impact of BRs on local livelihoods by exploring a case study while reflecting on major debates in the conservation and rural development paradigms. Mixed research methods focusing on qualitative methodology are used. By exploring a BR in Lebanon, this research highlights how the allocation and management of the BRs have not always reflected participatory, sustainable and community-based approaches. This study stresses the importance of the locals’ engagement in the whole conservation process. By putting people, their needs and perceptions at the center of decision-making, conservation agencies would shift the main objective of BRs from conservation to poverty reduction.

Challenges of assessment and mapping of ecosystem services in Bulgarian (Rhodope) and Russian (Altai) mountain protected areas in the context of post-socialist transformations and new conservation paradigms

The overarching goal of this survey was to identify the challenges of ecosystem services assessment and mapping in Russian and Bulgarian mountain protected areas in the context of post-socialist transformations, new conservation paradigms and climate change. The Altai Mountains in Russia and the Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria were selected as key mountain territories for comparison due to their similar characteristics: agriculture, forest exploitation, tourism activities, etc. Both in Bulgaria and in Russia, perceptions of the protected areas functioning have been changing, facilitated by global shifts. Thus, the concept of ecosystem services has now been actively introduced in nature and biodiversity conservation policies. Based on WDPA data the emergence of different types of protected areas in Russia and Bulgaria was determined. Key problems of assessment and mapping of ecosystem services in Russian and Bulgarian mountain protected areas were recognised, mainly related to the shortage and quality of baseline data. At the same time, there were also some specifics for the two countries due to their size and national legislation. Like many other mountainous regions in the world, the Rhodopes in Bulgaria and the Altai Mountains in Russia are flagships in the improvement of nature conservation strategies. These regions often participate in a variety of international conservation programmes and are constantly expanding the range of protected areas. It is generally accepted that the Altai Mountains and the Rhodopes are not only centres of biodiversity richness in their countries, but also hotspots of a variety of ecosystem services.

Cultural and creative sectors at a crossroad: from a mainstream process towards an active engagement

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a current global health crisis with dreadful repercussions all over the world. A global economic recession is anticipated, with strong impacts in all economic and social sectors, including the cultural sector. Although all sub sectors will be impacted (heritage sites, theatres, museums, operas, art galleries), the cultural built heritage is particularly at stake, as it relies on multiple stakeholders through a wide range of heritage-related activities (tourism, recreation, housing, real estate, construction, craftsmanship, etc.). Sites management and heritage conservation have not only been vulnerable to strong economic and social disruptions, like most of other cultural fields, but have been greatly challenged because heritage values and the paradigm of conservation (50 years after adoption of the UNESCO convention) are being themselves revisited in the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals. The paper aims also to consider cultural heritage as part of the Cultural and Creative Sectors (CCS) and how creativity and innovation contribute to post-COVID recoveries through Schumpeter-related creative destruction process. The current crisis might be perceived in a perspective of long wave theory of innovations and economic growth. The economic history is filled with many examples of such transition period when inventions, innovations, and growth reactivate the economic development in an upward long-term trend. In such framework, crisis can trigger innovation and creativity and can be understood as opportunity to increase the CCS resilience and sustainability, as well as harness the universality and the power of creativity. Finally, the paper aims to describe implications of such situation by providing to the CCS ways to learn and experience cultural entrepreneurship, resilient strategies, new sustainable and circular business models applied to the cultural heritage sector and its conservation.

The paradigm of conservation in Central Africa is failing: an analysis of the current situation

The paradigm of conservation in Central Africa is failing: an analysis of the current situation

Resilient Subject Agreement Morpho-Syntax in the Germanic Romance Contact Area

In this work, we intend to investigate one fundamental aspect of language contact by comparing the distribution of subjects in German, Northern Italian dialects and Cimbrian. Here, we show that purely syntactic order phenomena are more prone to convergence, i.e., less resilient, while phenomena that have a clearly identifiable morphological counterpart are more resilient. The empirical domain of investigation for our analysis is the morphosyntax of both nominal and pronominal subjects, the agreement pattern and their position in Cimbrian grammar. While agreement patterns display a highly conservative paradigm, the syntax of nominal (vP-peripheral and topicalized) subjects is innovative and mimics the Italian linear word order.

TOWARDS A DEFINITION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSET A PROPOSAL FROM THREE-DIMENSIONAL ACCOUNTING

Traditional accounting of an economic-financial nature has developed the criteria for the recognition, measurement, valuation, presentation and disclosure of information of assets, based on the organizational control of resources and the generation of economic benefits from them, these judgments have been applied under the same guidelines to environmental assets. This research aim is to propose a concept of environmental asset based on an accounting for sustainability, based on an ethical vision that tends to defend life in conditions of dignity for the present and future generations of all forms and manifestations of life, recognizing the finite and limited condition of natural resources and their capacity to provide goods and services. The construction of a new definition of environmental asset required analyzing the established definitions, collect the significant and current aspects, improving its orientation and purpose from the recent progress of the care and conservation paradigms, as an ethical vision committed to life and its dignity

Post-2020 aspirations for biodiversity

Post-2020 aspirations for biodiversity

Педагогика партнерства и проектное обучение как способы развития субъектов современного образования

The modern educational system has no chance to avoid responding the challenges of the emerging digital civilization and multimedia culture. To authors’ opinion, such response is the actualization of subject-subjective nature of educational service production/consumption. Taking into account the contradiction between traditionally formed, essentially conservative paradigm of educational process and explosive improvement of life conditions in the modern society, the authors suggest to activate the partnership pedagogics as the meaningful response of university education to to the modern era challenges. The article discusses the experience of partnership pedagogics in the project leaning format in conditions of educational process at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics. The paper objective is to present the analysis results of cognitive abilities of a student as a partner in the project learning context. The research methodology and techniques predetermine consideraing the view of a student role in the project learning process as an equal, motivated actor participating in the process of education and self-education, actively interacting with a scientific supervisor-tutor. Viewing the student as the partner in the project learning context supposes understanding the relevance of the student subjective position. Adjustment of educational paradigm actually forming “soft skills” primarily enables shift of education processes from traditional subject-object “stuffing students up” with information to subject-subjective student “self-education management”; students have their research, organizational and creative tasks. The dilemma of many modern pedagogical practices is associated with the necessity to master “hard skills” (basic, programme skills), and “soft skills” (mobile skills, connected to creativity, dialogue and openness to multiple ways of task-solutions). The essential solution of this contradiction and the possibility of its “sublation” on the higher level is related to the partnership pedagogy, where the student is regarded as the equal, equipotent agent, active and initiative participant in the educational process interaction. The future research prospects are connected to the psychological analysis of humanistic oriented practices in the educational process.

The Revival of the Russian Idea Ethic and Aesthetic Traditions in the Anthropologic Social and Conservative Paradigm

Russian idea formation in the framework of mental and artistic forms largely determines its ethic and aesthetic trends. The following philosophic conceptualization of the Russian idea turned out to be connected not only with the empire project, but also with the expression of national traditions in the classic culture, from architecture to philosophy. Under the conditions of the global technological crisis of spiritual culture that has captured the quasi-westernized modern Russia, the conservative progress understanding implies in fact the integration of anthropological and social conservatism. Russian idea modernization as an important direction of the domestic philosophy renewal, implies the critical analysis of post-philosophic –suicidal in relation to man, national sovereignty, fundamental social institutions, - doctrines and substantiation of absolute importance of classic and national spiritual traditions, moral and aesthetic context of material and technical progress, cultural self-sufficiency and originality. The panhuman character of the Russian idea in the 21st century consists in the project of co-evolutionary preservation of man, philosophy and culture.

Effect of Repetitive Recycling on the Optical Properties of Polypropylene Based on Material Value Conservation Paradigm

Good quality of plastic packaging waste has the potential to be recycled, as it can be used as raw material for the next packaging products. Recycling is preeminent due to the grave necessity of decreasing plastic production rate, especially for packaging industries which are known to use more plastic compared to other sectors. Material value conservation is a new paradigm which can be implemented through a new category of design for recycling in order to avoid value degradation. Implementations of this paradigm has produced better quality processed plastic waste with higher selling price. Applied with this paradigm, recycled plastic pellets can be a viable alternative as raw material based on its mechanical properties, even after the 8th stage of recycling. This study aims to reveal the effect of repetitive recycling on the optical properties of polypropylene with implementation of material value conservation paradigm, to strengthen previous evidence of the implementation of the material value conservation paradigm on plastic packaging whether repetitive recycling plastic packaging can be a viable alternative as raw material based on its optical properties. Optical properties observed in this research were based on the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards, which are consisted of colour (ASTM D2244), gloss (ASTM D2457) and transparency (ASTM D1746). The result of this study indicated that even after the 8th stage of recycling, plastic pellet of polypropylene still can be a viable alternative as raw material based on its optical properties, with more attention on transparency property.

Mesocarnivore community structuring in the presence of Africa's apex predator.

Apex predator reintroductions have proliferated across southern Africa, yet their ecological effects and proposed umbrella benefits of associated management lack empirical evaluations. Despite a rich theory on top-down ecosystem regulation via mesopredator suppression, a knowledge gap exists relating to the influence of lions (Panthera leo) over Africa's diverse mesocarnivore (less than 20 kg) communities. We investigate how geographical variation in mesocarnivore community richness and occupancy across South African reserves is associated with the presence of lions. An interesting duality emerged: lion reserves held more mesocarnivore-rich communities, yet mesocarnivore occupancy rates and evenness-weighted diversity were lower in the presence of lions. Human population density in the reserve surroundings had a similarly ubiquitous negative effect on mesocarnivore occupancy. The positive association between species richness and lion presence corroborated the umbrella species concept but translated into small differences in community size. Distributional contractions of mesocarnivore species within lion reserves, and potentially corresponding numerical reductions, suggest within-community mesopredator suppression by lions, probably as a result of lethal encounters and responses to a landscape of fear. Our findings offer empirical support for the theoretical understanding of processes underpinning carnivore community assembly and are of conservation relevance under current large-predator orientated management and conservation paradigms.

Strongly deleterious mutations are a primary determinant of extinction risk due to inbreeding depression.

Human‐driven habitat fragmentation and loss have led to a proliferation of small and isolated plant and animal populations with high risk of extinction. One of the main threats to extinction in these populations is inbreeding depression, which is primarily caused by recessive deleterious mutations becoming homozygous due to inbreeding. The typical approach for managing these populations is to maintain high genetic diversity, increasingly by translocating individuals from large populations to initiate a “genetic rescue.” However, the limitations of this approach have recently been highlighted by the demise of the gray wolf population on Isle Royale, which declined to the brink of extinction soon after the arrival of a migrant from the large mainland wolf population. Here, we use a novel population genetic simulation framework to investigate the role of genetic diversity, deleterious variation, and demographic history in mediating extinction risk due to inbreeding depression in small populations. We show that, under realistic models of dominance, large populations harbor high levels of recessive strongly deleterious variation due to these mutations being hidden from selection in the heterozygous state. As a result, when large populations contract, they experience a substantially elevated risk of extinction after these strongly deleterious mutations are exposed by inbreeding. Moreover, we demonstrate that, although genetic rescue is broadly effective as a means to reduce extinction risk, its effectiveness can be greatly increased by drawing migrants from small or moderate‐sized source populations rather than large source populations due to smaller populations harboring lower levels of recessive strongly deleterious variation. Our findings challenge the traditional conservation paradigm that focuses on maximizing genetic diversity in small populations in favor of a view that emphasizes minimizing strongly deleterious variation. These insights have important implications for managing small and isolated populations in the increasingly fragmented landscape of the Anthropocene.

Impact of Repetitive Recycling on Optical Properties of Virgin and Recycled Polypropylene Blends Based on Material Value Conservation Paradigm

Implementation of material value conservation (MVC) needs to be proven through research to determine impact upon plastic properties such as optical properties of virgin plastic and recycled plastic blends. Optical properties such as colour, transparency and gloss are important parameters for appropriate quality of plastic packaging. Degradation of optical properties occurs during recycling processes of plastic materials and the declining properties of recycled products could be improved by blending them with virgin materials. This research aims to reveal the impact of repetitive recycling on optical properties of virgin and recycled polypropylene (PP) blends based on MVC paradigm. The first step of this research was to determine composition of virgin PP and recycled PP blends. Proportion of 70% virgin PP and 30% recycled PP was selected as a blend composition. The next step of this research was repetitive recycling of virgin PP and recycled PP blends with implementation of MVC up to the 8th recycling stage. The specimens of plastic blends were made from the 1st, 2nd, 4th and the 8th recycling stage and then their optical properties were tested with the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) methods. Generally, degradation level of optical properties will increase during the recycling processes. Testing results show a slightly change of colour properties. Degradation level of gloss properties is gradually increased by a maximum degradation level at the 8th recycling stage as 17.46%. However, transparency had a maximum degradation level at the 4th recycling stage as 20.93%. It means that the plastic blends can be used as viable raw materials based on their optical properties with more attention to the gloss. Furthermore, the implementation of MVC will provide more benefits through extending the life cycle of recycled products, reducing virgin plastic consumption, optimizing the use of plastic waste and reducing plastic waste generation.

La asolación del jaguar en el capital

La asolación del jaguar comienza con la aparición y expansión del humano en América, creando una relación asimétrica entre estas dos especies de animales, preponderante al humano. La presente obra devela la opresión a la que ha sido sometido el jaguar, avasallado por la dominación humana y acentuada en la época prehispánica, colonial y la era del capital. El jaguar llevado al proceso de extinción es cosificado, se le mercantiliza y su existencia es reducida al fetichismo. Al jaguar se le oculta su ser, su racionalidad, su conciencia y sus capacidades cognitivas, para despojarlo de la vida, sin entender que cada individuo de esta especie se constituye como un ser en sí mismo; su vida libre, su dignidad, su pertenencia, su papel en el mundo y su vida son irremplazables. La conservación del jaguar requiere de un profundo cambio dialéctico de liberación dando paso a un nuevo paradigma de la conservación, resignificando al jaguar y la naturaleza, dejando atrás el pensamiento mercantilista, cosificador, utilitarista y colonizador.

Проблеми та перспективи екологізації туризму в Україні

The article considers modern tendencies in tourism development and analyzes the existing approaches to greening tourism; ecological problems of managing tourism development in Ukraine. The article aims at substantiating scientifically and theoretically the prospects for developing the national tourism market in Ukraine, taking into account the environmental factor. To attain the aim, the following general scientific and special methods were used: analysis and synthesis were used to study the scientific principles of tourism development; statistical analysis, comparison and generalization helped us to study the impact of environmental factors on the tourism market development in Ukraine. The authors draw attention to the need to increase the level of environmental safety of travelling in accordance with the sustainable development criteria. It is determined that greening tourism is a consistent implementation of the ideas within the "green" economy paradigm and international experience in nature conservation and sustainable environment in environmental legislation, recreational tourism, regional management, development of "green" technologies, environmental education and recreational nature management. The main directions of greening tourism at the macro- and micro-levels have been identified by analyzing the state of the environment and the tourism industry in Ukraine. Thus, the authors believe that an ecologically safe tourist product should include the following points: environmentally friendly transportation, food consumption, garbage collection and processing throughout the journey; environmentally friendly building materials used for tourist accommodation; participation of tourism business entities in solving environmental problems in the region

Wetland spirits and indigenous knowledge: Implications for the conservation of wetlands in the Peruvian Amazon

Globally, the importance of indigenous and local knowledge systems for science, policy, environmental conservation and the cultural heritage of indigenous peoples is increasingly being recognised. The Amazon region in particular is home to many indigenous peoples who have conserved their cultural traditions and knowledge, despite growing threats to the environment and traditional lifestyles and cultures. Based on insights from ethnographic research in three indigenous communities, here we present a case study on the indigenous knowledge of the Urarina people of the Chambira Basin in the Peruvian Amazon and its implications for conservation. We describe, for the first time, a series of anthropomorphic and territorial “wetland spirits”, who are associated with particular wetland ecosystems and range in character from the benign to outright aggressive. Their presence may indirectly benefit conservation of wetlands, as humans fear or respect these wetland spirits and adapt their behaviour accordingly. While benign spirits may be seen as positive models to follow, aggressive spirits may deter unsustainable harvesting of resources through fear of disease or death. However, their cultural status is not adequately captured by such rational-scientific explanations. Wetland spirits are important characters within the indigenous cosmos of humans and non-humans, which is built on a relational, rather than extractive model of connecting humans and nature. We discuss our findings in the context of wider conceptual debates on recognising relational ontologies in environmental policy and conservation, the paradigm of biocultural conservation, as well as their implications for land titling, and incorporating indigenous perspectives in local education.

Obrazovni efekti kontekstualnog učenja u nastavi srpskog jezika

This research demonstrates the results of the first experimental assessment of the educational outcomes of contextual learning in the traditional and innovative teaching systems (responsible teaching and different complexity levels teaching). The ultimate aim of the experimental assessment is to determine whether the contextual learning in teaching process results in more favorable educational effects while being realistically assessed and whether it is possible to enhance the contextual learning and innovative teaching in our schools to overcome the limitations of mainly de-contextual learning based on the conservative didactic paradigm. During the 2018/19 school year, the experiment was carried out with grade five students from three elementary schools within the field of Serbian language. Each of the three elementary schools had two experimental and two assessment classes. The experimental effectiveness of the didactically and methodologically founded new exercises of contextual learning and complementary teaching was assessed. The method of an experiment with parallel groups, method of analysis and synthesis, and comparative method were applied in the research. After the initial and final assessment, it was determined that the systematic exercises of the contextual learning compared to the dominating de-contextual learning exercises made a significant impact on the increase of educational achievements determined by the reading speed and text comprehension tests. No significant impact was detected on the students' speaking ability. The obtained results provide more reliable starting points for more systematic and comprehensive pedagogical, psychological, didactical, and methodological research of contextual learning in the teaching process and indicate positive educational effects.