Rapid Resource Depletion Research Articles

Optimal Production Systems in Highland Communities in Chiang Mai Province

Abstract Countries around the world are facing increasing problems related to rapid resource depletion, especially due to a reduction in highland agricultural area which affects the country's economy, society and the environment. The farmers feel pressurized to move away from traditional methods of food production in order to improve their economic well-being by switching to mono-crops with high retail values. This has also led to social changes in the highland communities as some farmers are more successful than others for a variety of reasons. The primary purpose of this study is to research agricultural production systems which are both environmentally friendly and capable of providing the farmers and their families with food security and an improved standard of living. The study area in Pang Daeng Nai Royal Project Extensions collected a sample from 185 households. The input and output prices were an average taken from the three years and the data was analyzed by a multiple goal and multi-period programming model. This aimed to optimize resource management by considering four objective goals. These were to maximize income, ensure rice sufficiency for the household consumption, to minimize chemical costs and to minimize fertilizer costs. The analysis was subject to the constraints estimated from household consumption and income levels which were used for the household consumption model. The coefficients for the main crop were estimated from the production frontier function and this resulted in a 5 year planning framework. The primary results of this analysis indicate that it is possible to reach the optimization goals. For an average farm of 17.85 rai, the study suggests that the land should be allocated as follows: 27% for rice cultivation, 46% for field crop conservation farming (maize-legume relay-cropping), 11% for perennial trees (mango), and 17% for semi-perennial crops (passion fruit). This production system can generate of 92,600 -101,400 THB per year cash income per household. This will produce on average 1,261 kilograms of rice per year per household. By following this optimal land use, it could reduce the cost of chemicals and fertilizers by 6,600 -10,200 THB per household per year. If decisions on optimal land use are done in highland community, land would be allocated to mix perennial and semi-perennial fruit trees including without waste burning from production that the optimized production plan is environmentally sustainable.

Intraspecific priority effects and disease interact to alter population growth

Intraspecific variation may shape colonization of new habitat patches through a variety of mechanisms. In particular, trait variation among colonizing individuals can produce intraspecific priority effects (IPEs), where early arrivers of a single species affect the establishment or growth of later conspecifics. While we have some evidence for the importance of IPEs, we lack a general understanding of factors affecting their presence or magnitude across a landscape. Specifically, IPEs should depend strongly on success of colonizers in the new habitat patch. This success hinges on interactions between colonizer traits and local selective pressures, but such context dependence remains unexplored experimentally. We addressed this gap by looking for the dynamical signature of IPEs in environments with and without a selective (parasite) pressure. We tested whether IPEs affected the population dynamics of a zooplankton host species (Daphnia dentifera) collected from two populations showing a tradeoff between growth rate and resistance to a fungal parasite (Metschnikowia bicuspidata). Differences in arrival order significantly altered population growth during a period of rapid resource depletion, driving large (up to 65%) differences in population abundance. Furthermore, the presence of IPEs was context dependent, as parasites reduced the impact of early arrivers on later arrivers. Such context‐dependent IPEs, mediated by colonizer traits, colonization order, and selective pressures, may play an unanticipated role in the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of natural metapopulations. This mechanism highlights the overall importance of intraspecific variation for understanding ecological patterns.

Fisheries catch misreporting and its implications: The case of Senegal

The marine resources in Senegal are still relatively abundant, and Senegalese fisheries generate a high economic value for local communities. These fisheries are characterized by a large number of distant-water fleets alternating between legal and illegal operations, depending on circumstances, and a rapid increase of artisanal fishing effort. The extent of the impact of artisanal fisheries on fisheries resources and the Senegalese economy is as poorly known as is the level of illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) industrial fishing. The former relies on official surveys and voluntary reports by fishers, while the existence of the latter was largely denied in the past. Large and frequent ‘migrations’ (i.e., incursions into the waters of neighbouring countries) by Senegalese artisanal fishers, under-estimation of fishing effort and increasing conflicts over fisheries suggest that officially reported catch data do not reflect reality. A thorough literature review, experts and industry consultations were used to reconstruct Senegalese fisheries catch data. Official national data were compared to the data supplied to FAO and adjusted from 1950 to 2010. Reported and missing sub-sectors, including artisanal catches within and outside Senegalese waters, non-commercial sub-sectors, and industrial catches by the legal and illegal fleets, were conservatively re-assessed. The impacts of the intensive illegal fishing activities on artisanal fisheries and the economy were investigated. The results showed substantial under-reporting, ranging from 4 times higher than the official data in the past to about 1.6 times recently. Artisanal fisheries, according to official data, were responsible for 50% of total extractions, as opposed to 80% 20 years ago. However, while catches by migrant fishers increased dramatically, artisanal catches from Senegalese waters decreased despite an increasing effort, suggesting over-capacity. IUU catches, which were worth around $ 300 million US annually, whether transhipped or otherwise spirited out of Senegalese waters, or discarded, represent a huge loss to Senegal. Also, the foreign fleet, illegally exploiting Senegalese fisheries resources, impact strongly on the migrations of Senegalese artisanal fishers, who in turn increase their migrations as an adaptation strategy to meet their need for fish in the face of rapid resource depletion.

Genetic Circuit Performance under Conditions Relevant for Industrial Bioreactors

Synthetic genetic programs promise to enable novel applications in industrial processes. For such applications, the genetic circuits that compose programs will require fidelity in varying and complex environments. In this work, we report the performance of two synthetic circuits in Escherichia coli under industrially relevant conditions, including the selection of media, strain, and growth rate. We test and compare two transcriptional circuits: an AND and a NOR gate. In E. coli DH10B, the AND gate is inactive in minimal media; activity can be rescued by supplementing the media and transferring the gate into the industrial strain E. coli DS68637 where normal function is observed in minimal media. In contrast, the NOR gate is robust to media composition and functions similarly in both strains. The AND gate is evaluated at three stages of early scale-up: 100 mL shake flask experiments, a 1 mL MTP microreactor, and a 10 L bioreactor. A reference plasmid that constitutively produces a GFP reporter is used to make comparisons of circuit performance across conditions. The AND gate function is quantitatively different at each scale. The output deteriorates late in fermentation after the shift from exponential to constant feed rates, which induces rapid resource depletion and changes in growth rate. In addition, one of the output states of the AND gate failed in the bioreactor, effectively making it only responsive to a single input. Finally, cells carrying the AND gate show considerably less accumulation of biomass. Overall, these results highlight challenges and suggest modified strategies for developing and characterizing genetic circuits that function reliably during fermentation.

A New Resource Curse? Impacts of China’s Boom on Comparative Advantage and Resource Dependence in Southeast Asia

Due to China’s rapid growth and integration with global markets, Southeast Asia’s poorer economies are losing comparative advantage in labor-intensive manufacturing and gaining it in natural resources. The first trend may pose a threat to future industrial expansion. The second will generate short-run export windfalls but may not be environmentally sustainable. What are the implications for long-run growth, particularly in the poorest economies, and especially in light of weak institutions for environmental and natural resource management? Rapid resource depletion and reduced industrial growth could expose countries to a period of slow economic growth, as predicted by the “natural resource curse” hypothesis.

Accelerated seedling emergence in interspecific competitive neighbourhoods

Seed dormancy models suggest that evaluation of environmental conditions should influence the decision to germinate and that waiting for more favourable conditions may increase potential fitness. However, because rapid emergence is often positively correlated with performance and survival, an alternative strategy to accelerate the rate of emergence may increase the potential for site pre‐emption. This response is more likely to be found in seasonal environments with greater potential for rapid resource depletion in which early emergence may confer a competitive advantage. The experiments reported here found more rapid emergence in a perennial grass species when it was planted in potentially highly competitive interspecific neighbourhoods. This response suggests an inherent ability in seeds of this species to sense and respond to the competitive nature of the immediate neighbourhood.

Attributions about self and others in commons dilemmas

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of self-harvest and resource management outcome on self–other attributions in a simulated commons dilemma. In groups of five or six, participants (n=171) managed a limited, shared, self-regenerating resource. Self-attributions to ignorance, concern for others, fear, and greed were compared to the same attributions made for cooperative and noncooperative others. The attributions were made in two contexts: efficient management and rapid resource depletion. As predicted, self-attributions resembled those made for similar others; heavy harvesters made similar attributions for themselves and noncooperative others, and light harvesters made similar attributions for themselves and the cooperative others. A self-serving bias was evident, especially among heavy harvesters. Attributions were also influenced by the context in which they were made; stronger attributions to ignorance, fear, and greed, and weaker attributions to concern for others were made when the resource pool was rapidly depleted than when it was managed efficiently.

Population growth, agrarian peasant economy and environmental degradation in Tanzania.

This paper attempts to discuss the link between population growth, peasant agrarian economy and environmental degradation in Tanzania. It argues that high population growth and economic backwardness are dependent variables which contribute significantly to rapid resource depletion, and hence to environmental degradation. In other words, peasant agrarian economic conditions stimulate the demand for larger families which leads to high population growth in turn. A change in one of these variables will necessarily lead to changes in the other, and both of them have an impact on the environment. The conclusion drawn is that attempts to reduce population growth need to be linked to the war against poverty and environmental degradation. Efforts should be directed to changing traditional ways of life by eliminating poverty and improving the means of production in the rural areas. Such efforts will ease the demand for children and reduce fertility levels in the long run.

On R&D timing under uncertainty: The case of exhaustible resource substitution

In this paper, we analyze the problem of endogenous R&D timing when technological breakthrough and innovation are random events in a dynamic framework which involves the substitution of an exhaustible resource (oil, for instance) by an alternative technology (the backstop) that provides an everlasting source of energy. Under fairly general assumptions, we characterize the pattern of exploitation of both energy sources and study the effect of uncertain technological breakthrough on the R&D timing decision, on resource prices, and on the pattern of resource use. In comparison to the certainty case, it is shown that uncertainty consideration might delay the undertaking of R&D and might lead to a more rapid resource depletion pattern for a considerable range of R&D capital costs, while the opposite result – the conventional wisdom – holds only for some other range.

Traumatic stress: A theory based on rapid loss of resources

Abstract Applied Hobfoll's (1988; 1989) Conservation of Resources (COR) stress theory to the instance of traumatic stress. COR theory posits that stress occurs when resources are threatened, when resources are lost, or when individuals invest resources without gaining adequate resources in return. Traumatic stress is seen as particularly threatening to resources and results in rapid resource depletion when it occurs. The rapidness of resource loss is related to the fact that traumatic stressors (1) often attack people's basic values, (2) often occur unexpectedly, (3) make excessive demands, (4) are outside of the realm for which resource utilization strategies have been developed, and (5) leave a powerful mental image that is easily evoked by cues associated with the event. Results from research on traumatic stress are used to illustrate these points and implications for treatment are discussed.

Resource Conservation, Environmental Preservation, and the Rate of Discount

The scarcity value of diminishing resources should be reflected in the discount rates on investments involving the public sector and environmental resources. Lowering the discount rate as a conservation measure may actually cause more rapid depletion of resources. Environmental resources, which provide recreational or other services at the site, differ from extractive resources in that use of extractive resources is only an intermediate good. In some instances, environmental resources are even more irreplaceable than extractive. The Hells Canyon project is used to illustrate the situation in which a decision to proceed with a project precludes the possibility of realizing other future benefits, while a decision not to proceed leaves the option for future development. (DCK)

On an approach for comparing the implications of alternative fish stock assessments, with application to the stock of Cape hakeMerlucciusspp. off northern Namibia

The 1989 meeting of an ad hoc Working Group on Stock Assessment Methodology at the International Commission for the Southeast Atlantic Fisheries (ICSEAF) suggested a "risk analysis" approach to contrast the implications of the different estimates of Total Allowable Catch (TAC) provided when different assessment methodologies are applied to a stock. The details of such an approach are developed. The approach involves deterministic forward projection of the biomass trajectory implied by each assessment for a period (e.g. 10 years) under the TACs or target levels of effort indicated by that and the other assessments. Within the framework developed, it is possible to allow for the effects of "learning" (i.e. updating parameter estimates as more data become available). The approach is relatively simple computationally and allows for quick and sometimes revealing comparisons between assessment/management procedures to be made. It is applied to the variety of assessments available for the stock of Cape hake off northern Namibia. The implication of the analyses conducted is that application of the f 0.1 harvesting strategy in combination with either the Spanish assessment procedure and the ICSEAF "revised" data set, or the South African assessment procedure using the Spanish OTB-8 data series, could lead to rapid resource depletion, so that use of these procedures would seem to be inappropriate for this stock.