Remote Mountainous Regions Research Articles

FOREST TREE SPECIES DISTRIBUTION MAPPING USING LANDSAT SATELLITE IMAGERY AND TOPOGRAPHIC VARIABLES WITH THE MAXIMUM ENTROPY METHOD IN MONGOLIA

Forest is a very important ecosystem and natural resource for living things. Based on forest inventories, government is able to make decisions to converse, improve and manage forests in a sustainable way. Field work for forestry investigation is difficult and time consuming, because it needs intensive physical labor and the costs are high, especially surveying in remote mountainous regions. A reliable forest inventory can give us a more accurate and timely information to develop new and efficient approaches of forest management. The remote sensing technology has been recently used for forest investigation at a large scale. To produce an informative forest inventory, forest attributes, including tree species are unavoidably required to be considered. <br><br> In this study the aim is to classify forest tree species in Erdenebulgan County, Huwsgul province in Mongolia, using Maximum Entropy method. The study area is covered by a dense forest which is almost 70% of total territorial extension of Erdenebulgan County and is located in a high mountain region in northern Mongolia. For this study, Landsat satellite imagery and a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) were acquired to perform tree species mapping. The forest tree species inventory map was collected from the Forest Division of the Mongolian Ministry of Nature and Environment as training data and also used as ground truth to perform the accuracy assessment of the tree species classification. Landsat images and DEM were processed for maximum entropy modeling, and this study applied the model with two experiments. The first one is to use Landsat surface reflectance for tree species classification; and the second experiment incorporates terrain variables in addition to the Landsat surface reflectance to perform the tree species classification. All experimental results were compared with the tree species inventory to assess the classification accuracy. Results show that the second one which uses Landsat surface reflectance coupled with terrain variables produced better result, with the higher overall accuracy and kappa coefficient than first experiment. The results indicate that the Maximum Entropy method is an applicable, and to classify tree species using satellite imagery data coupled with terrain information can improve the classification of tree species in the study area.

FOREST TREE SPECIES DISTRIBUTION MAPPING USING LANDSAT SATELLITE IMAGERY AND TOPOGRAPHIC VARIABLES WITH THE MAXIMUM ENTROPY METHOD IN MONGOLIA

Abstract. Forest is a very important ecosystem and natural resource for living things. Based on forest inventories, government is able to make decisions to converse, improve and manage forests in a sustainable way. Field work for forestry investigation is difficult and time consuming, because it needs intensive physical labor and the costs are high, especially surveying in remote mountainous regions. A reliable forest inventory can give us a more accurate and timely information to develop new and efficient approaches of forest management. The remote sensing technology has been recently used for forest investigation at a large scale. To produce an informative forest inventory, forest attributes, including tree species are unavoidably required to be considered. In this study the aim is to classify forest tree species in Erdenebulgan County, Huwsgul province in Mongolia, using Maximum Entropy method. The study area is covered by a dense forest which is almost 70% of total territorial extension of Erdenebulgan County and is located in a high mountain region in northern Mongolia. For this study, Landsat satellite imagery and a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) were acquired to perform tree species mapping. The forest tree species inventory map was collected from the Forest Division of the Mongolian Ministry of Nature and Environment as training data and also used as ground truth to perform the accuracy assessment of the tree species classification. Landsat images and DEM were processed for maximum entropy modeling, and this study applied the model with two experiments. The first one is to use Landsat surface reflectance for tree species classification; and the second experiment incorporates terrain variables in addition to the Landsat surface reflectance to perform the tree species classification. All experimental results were compared with the tree species inventory to assess the classification accuracy. Results show that the second one which uses Landsat surface reflectance coupled with terrain variables produced better result, with the higher overall accuracy and kappa coefficient than first experiment. The results indicate that the Maximum Entropy method is an applicable, and to classify tree species using satellite imagery data coupled with terrain information can improve the classification of tree species in the study area.

A mathematical modeling study of the HIV epidemics at two rural townships in the Liangshan Prefecture of the Sichuan Province of China

BackgroundAs a response to a severe HIV epidemic in the Liangshan Prefecture, one of the worst in China, population based HIV interventions, including two population-wide HIV screening, have been carried out since 2005 at two townships in a remote mountainous region of Liangshan. The objective of our mathematical modeling study is to assess the temporal dynamics of the HIV epidemic in the two townships based on the data collected in the study area during the period 2005–2010. MethodsA mathematical model was set up to describe the population dynamics of HIV transmission in study area. The model was calibrated by fitting it to the HIV testing and treatment data from 2005 to 2008. Validation of the model was done by comparing its predicted value of HIV prevalence in 2010 to the prevalence data obtained in the 2010 population wide HIV testing. The validated model was used to produce estimation of HIV incidence, prevalence and death. ResultsOur model estimations show that population-based HIV interventions have significantly slowed down the rise of the HIV epidemic in the two townships. Over the five-year period from 2005 to 2010, the year-over-year rate of increase in HIV incidence, prevalence, and death has declined by 91.5%, 28.7%, and 52.3%, respectively. ConclusionMathematical models, when integrated with epidemiological and surveillance data, can be an effective tool for predicting the temporal dynamics of HIV and assessing the impacts of HIV interventions.

Study of infectious conjunctivitis among children in rural areas of Qinghai province.

Infectious conjunctivitis is no longer a common eye disease in cities and developed areas, but in remote mountainous regions of China where living conditions are relatively under-developed, the occurrence of infectious conjunctivitis remains a public health issue. Here, we evaluate the ratio of infectious conjunctivitis among primary school students in the rural areas of Xunhua, Huangyuan, and Huzhu Counties in the Qinghai province of China, and report the microorganisms involved in causing infection. Of the 765 eligible primary school students, 694 participated to this study (a response rateof 90.7%), 381 boys and 313 girls, with a mean age of 7.52 years (range 7-9 years). A clinical diagnosis of infectious conjunctivitis was returned for 238 of the 694 children examined. The ratio of infectious conjunctivitis in Xunhua County (46.64%) was higher compared to that in Huangyuan (26.67%; P=0.03) and Huzhu Counties (23.61%; P=0.02). The leading cause of conjunctivitis was bacterial, followed by chlamydial and viral. Our results show that there is a high ratio of infectious conjunctivitis among rural primary school students in Qinghai province.

Experimental Evaluation of Performance of Constant Power Prime-Mover Driven Isolated 3-φ SEIG for Pico-Hydro Power Generation System in Remote Mountainous Region of Himalayas

This paper presents the experimental evaluation of the performance of 3-φ self-excited induction generator (SEIG) suitable for pico-hydro power generation system feeding domestic load in remote mountainous region. The use of induction generators is most suitable for renewable energy conversion systems due to their enormous advantages over conventional synchronous generators. Important features of induction generators include the simplicity in construction, ruggedness, simplified control, ease in maintenance and small size per generated kW. The performance characteristics of 3-φ SEIG feeding isolated load are evaluated using MATLAB-Simulink model based on the prevalent renewable energy sources inputs and loading conditions in mountainous terrain of Himalayas. The results are validated using an experimental set-up comprising of 3-φ, 3 HP induction motor run as 3- φ induction generator driven by 5HP, 4-pole DC shunt motor acting as prime-mover.

Risk given by AGT polymorphisms in inducing susceptibility to essential hypertension among isolated populations from a remote region of China: A case-control study among the isolated populations.

Hypertension is a serious risk factor affecting up to 30% of the world's population with a heritability of more than 30-50%. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of the polymorphisms localized in the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene, a main component of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, in inducing the susceptibility to essential hypertension (EH) among isolated populations (Yi and Hani minorities) with low prevalence rate from the remote region of Yunnan in China. A case-control association study was performed, and all subjects were genotyped for the seven single nucleotide polymorphisms localized in the AGT region by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Three polymorphisms, i.e. rs5046, rs5049, and rs2478544, were significantly associated with EH among the Hani minority. The associations, found in the Yi minority, did not reach a conclusive level of statistical significance. The polymorphisms of rs2478544 and rs5046 caused the transformations of exonic splicing enhancer sites and transcription factor binding sites, respectively, in the bioinformatic analyses. The haplotype-rs5046T, rs5049A, rs11568020G, rs3789679C, rs2478544C was susceptible for EH among the Hani minority. Our findings suggested that the AGT polymorphisms have played a vital role in determining an individual's susceptibility to EH among the isolated population, which would be helpful for EH management in the remote mountainous region of Yunnan in China.

Evaluation of detrital thermochronology for quantification of glacial catchment denudation and sediment mixing

Thermochronometric methods have been applied successfully on bedrock samples as well as detrital material to study exhumation processes in mountain belts. The access to exposed bedrock can be a limiting factor in remote and rugged mountainous regions, or areas covered by ice. The analysis of detrital material provides an integrated signal of rock cooling from sediment source areas in a catchment. One advantage of detrital thermochronology is that the source areas can include regions that are inaccessible for bedrock dating, such as beneath glaciers. In this study we investigate the suitability of various detrital thermochronometer sampling approaches at the glacier terminus including sediments from the pro-glacial fluvial outwash, the ice-cored terminal moraine, and older moraines. Specifically we analyzed the detrital apatite fission track ages of sand-size material collected from the Tiedemann and Scimitar Glaciers that drain the eastern and northern flanks of Mt. Waddington British Columbia, Canada, respectively. We present 935 new apatite fission-track ages and compare the grain-age distributions of the various detrital sites among each other and with published bedrock ages from the Tiedemann Glacier catchment. We show that detrital apatite fission-track thermochronometry is a viable and powerful tool to obtain a robust cooling age distribution of a catchment or region that can elucidate age populations originating from those parts of the catchment that are covered by ice and therefore remain undetected by bedrock studies. We also show that sampling the ice-cored terminal moraine is an alternative sampling approach to the pro-glacial river sediments that provides cooling age distributions representative of the sediments sourced by the entire catchment including sub-glacially eroded material. Finally, samples collected from the modern glacial systems and terminal moraines of different ages are compared to assess temporal variations in the distribution of glacial erosion over the Late Holocene.

The role of natural capital in sustaining livelihoods in remote mountainous regions: The case of Upper Svaneti, Republic of Georgia

In the Greater Caucasus of the Republic of Georgia, proponents of a new ski tourism zone and long-term timber concessions claim that new wage opportunities will benefit households. These developments will also limit access to common-pool resources (CPRs). This study uses the sustainable livelihoods framework to identify the conditions under which a development strategy will improve livelihood outcomes in the region. Analysis of original household survey data, in-depth interviews, and field observation reveals that households depend on CPRs for a range of market and non-market benefits. Low-income households depend on CPRs for up to 60% of their total income. OLS regression estimates show that households in villages farthest from market centers have a higher income dependence on CPRs and are more likely to participate in forest use activities. A majority of households report that there are few available substitutes. To improve livelihood outcomes, a development strategy should secure access to market benefits from CPRs, or wage income must increase in proportion to lost CPR income and affordable substitutes must be provided. Access to non-substitutable components of CPRs must be secured, and the distribution of changes in access to natural capital and new wage opportunities must be accounted for.

Renewable Energy in Nigeria: The Challenges and Opportunities in Mountainous and Riverine Regions

Renewable energy system has become a salient alternative of power in remote small mountainous and riverine regions. High cost of electricity supply and carbon emission reduction could be achieved with the use of renewable energy. This work presents the challenges and opportunities of renewable energy in Nigeria. The various renewable energy sources in Nigeria and their potential was discussed in light of the established master plan of the energy commission of Nigeria. Some of the challenges facing renewable energy development and implementation were highlighted and the various opportunities available were also emphasized. A micro power off grid system made of Biomass, Hydro and Solar Photovoltaic (PV) was proposed to power a mountainous and riverine region that is not grid connected based on the renewable energy potentials available in the region. This topology would not only help reduce the cost of electricity production, but also improve the carbon credit, making the environment eco-friendly.

Recovering from disasters: a study of livelihoods in post-quake villages in northern Pakistan.

The October 2005 earthquake in northern Pakistan severely affected the livelihoods of 1.5 million people. With the destruction of material assets and communications infrastructure, the quake had a devastating impact on people's way of life in this remote mountainous region. This paper explores livelihood revival interventions undertaken during the earthquake response, and considers how differentiated livelihood outcomes were achieved. In addressing this objective the paper examines livelihood rehabilitation schemes in terms of structural aspects, working strategies, key factors, strengths of interventions and the role of human agency in influencing livelihood trajectories of quake-affected communities. Primary data for this study was gathered in northern Pakistan between October 2008 and January 2009. The study identifies structural shortcomings and strengths of the programmes attempting to revive the livelihoods of poor and vulnerable households. It identifies how households in two villages made the most of opportunities to improve their lives and move towards favourable outcomes.

A landscape reshaped by transport: the Austrian Salzkammergut from salt economy to national leisure region

For centuries the Salzkammergut in Austria was a remote mountainous region dominated by the salt economy, transporting the salt by water. When, from the early 1820s, it became Austria's most fashionable tourism area, transport conditions underwent rapid modernisation and on the eve of the First World War, the region boasted a modern inter-modal transport system suited to upper-class tourism. At the same time, the Salzkammergut turned into a focal point of national identity. After the Second World War, the region lost its technological lead due to a number of factors including private motorisation, but it retained its supposed typical Austrian character until today.

Atmospheric deposition of polybromodiphenyl ethers in remote mountain regions of Europe

Abstract. Polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were analyzed in bulk atmospheric deposition collected in four European remote mountain areas over a period of two years (2004–2006): Lake Redon (Pyrenees, Catalonia, Spain), Gossenköllesee (Alps, Austria), Lochnagar (Grampian Mountains, Scotland) and Skalnate (Tatras, Slovakia). In all sites, the PBDE distributions were dominated by BDE209. BDE47 and BDE99 were the major low-brominated congeners, followed by BDE100 and BDE183. This composition is consistent with predominant inputs from the commercial mixtures decaBDE and pentaBDE. The total congener site-averaged fluxes ranged between 100 ng m−2 mo−1 (Alps) and 190 ng m−2 mo−1 (Tatras). Significant correlations between PBDE deposition and percent of North Atlantic backwards air mass trajectories in the collected samples of the westernmost sites, Lochnagar and Redon, suggested an impact of transcontinental transfer of these pollutants from North American sources into Europe. Skalnate, and to a lower extent Redon, recorded another main PBDE source from central Europe corresponding to secondary emissions of the pentaBDE commercial mixture. The fluxes of these secondary emissions were temperature dependent and correlated to total particle deposition and rainfall. Higher PBDE fluxes were observed at increasing temperature, particle deposition and precipitation. Another specific PBDE source was observed in United Kingdom and recorded in Lochnagar. Photolytic degradation during transport decreased the relative abundance of BDE209 and modified the emitted pentaBDE technical mixtures by depletion of the relative composition of BDE99 and, to a lower extent, BDE47. The transformations were more intense in the sites located above 2000 m (Redon and Gossenköllesee) and, particularly, during the warm periods.

Do mobile family planning clinics facilitate vasectomy use in Nepal?

BackgroundNepal has a distinct topography that makes reproductive health and family planning services difficult to access, particularly in remote mountain and hill regions where over a quarter of modern contraceptive users rely exclusively on vasectomy. Study designA three-level random intercept logistic regression analysis was applied on data from the 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey to investigate the extent of influence of mobile family planning clinics on the odds of a male or a female sterilization, adjusting for relevant characteristics including ecological differences and random effects. The analyses included a sample of 2014 sterilization users, considering responses from currently married women of reproductive ages. ResultsThe odds of a male sterilization were significantly higher in a mobile clinic than those in a government hospital (odds ratio, 1.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.21–2.25). The effects remained unaltered and statistically significant after adjusting for sociodemographic and clustering effects. Random effects were highly significant, which suggest the extent of heterogeneity in vasectomy use at the community and district levels. The odds of vasectomy use in mobile clinics were significantly higher among couples residing in hill and mountain regions and among those with three or more sons or those with only daughters. ConclusionMobile clinics significantly increase the uptake of vasectomy in hard-to-reach areas of Nepal. Reproductive health interventions should consider mobile clinics as an effective strategy to improve access to male-based modern methods and enhance gender equity in family planning. ImplicationsFamily planning interventions in hard-to-reach communities could consider mobile clinic as an effective strategy to promote male-based modern methods. Improving access to vasectomy could substantially reduce unmet need for family planning in countries experiencing rapid fertility transition.

New and rare diatom (Bacillariophyta) species from a mountain lake in Eastern Siberia

The examination of a moss sample collected from a lake in a remote mountainous region of Eastern Siberia revealed a diverse diatom flora that included four new species: Eunotia frigida, Brachysira subtile, Encyonopsis vasilievae, and Neidium rugosum. N. rugosum has been previously illustrated from several locations in the arctic and subarctic and is widely distributed across the circumpolar Arctic. The distribution of three other species is likely more limited. Besides these species, a number of rare diatoms were also found in the moss community. These include Neidium boyeri and Stauroneis crassula previously known only from North America; Encyonema sibericum so far only reported from Western Siberia, Encyonema lunatum var. borealis earlier found in Finland, and Eunotia ferefalcata, Pinnularia angustarea, and Naviculadicta mongolica so far reported only from Mongolia. This study contributes to the understanding of biogeographic patterns of diatom distribution.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection and associated risk factors in Huicholes in Mexico.

BackgroundVery little is known about the seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in ethnic groups in Mexico. Huicholes are an indigenous ethnic group living in a remote mountainous region in Mexico. We sought to determine the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies in Huicholes; and to determine the association of Toxoplasma seropositivity with socio-demographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics of Huicholes.MethodsWe performed a cross sectional survey in Huicholes from September 2013 to January 2014. A convenience sampling method was used. We investigated the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies in 214 Huicholes using enzyme-linked immunoassays. A standardized questionnaire was used to obtain the characteristics of the Huicholes. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the association of Toxoplasma exposure and Huicholes’ characteristics.ResultsOf the 214 Huicholes studied (mean age: 37.98 ± 15.80 years), 71 (33.2%) were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies and 47 (66.2%) of them were also positive for anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies. Seroprevalence of T. gondii infection did not vary with age, sex, or occupation. However, seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies was significantly higher in female than in male Huicholes. Multivariate analysis of socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics showed that T. gondii exposure was associated with consumption of turkey meat (OR = 2.28; 95% CI: 1.16-4.46; P = 0.01). In addition, seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was significantly higher in Huicholes suffering from dizziness and memory impairment than those without such clinical characteristics.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate serological evidence of T. gondii exposure among Huicholes which may be impacting their health. Results of this first study of T. gondii infection in Huicholes may be useful for the design of optimal preventive measures against infection with T. gondii.

Once Upon a Time, There Was Sex in Georgia

Georgians have long found in the remote mountainous regions of Georgia, Pshavi and Khevsureti, a fragmentary ethnographic image of a romantic and exotic “once upon a time” version of Georgia. Georgians have been particularly tantalized by images of the strange sexual practices of these mountains (called ts‘ats’loba), which represent a kind of paradoxical “sex without sex,” a seeming inversion of normative Georgian sexuality, belonging at the same time to the most “Georgian” part of Georgia. Fragmentary images of this “Georgian ancestral sex” circulate in a complex, multigenred interdiscursive space of citationality, becoming, in this recirculation, a haunting absent presence, representations of a sexual alterity shot through with lacunae and absences, which become full of virtual potentiality as these gaps and absences are filled in with one's own imagination and desire. This article ethnographically traces the citational connections between these fragmentary images of sexuality.

The evolution of Fedchenko glacier in the Pamir, Tajikistan, during the past eight decades

AbstractFedchenko glacier is by far the largest glacier in the Pamir, Tajikistan. Owing to early accurate mapping of the glacier it is possible to evaluate glacier changes over eight decades, which is an exceptionally long time period for this remote mountain region. During this time a total volume loss of 5 km3 was observed on the main trunk of the glacier, while the total area changed by only 1.4%. It is observed that the volume loss migrates from the lower parts of the glacier towards the upper ablation zone. The comparatively small change in area is a result of the supraglacial debris cover on the glacier tongue, which decouples the area loss from the volume loss to a considerable degree. The observed velocities of the glacier do not reflect the volume changes up to now because the interannual variability is larger than possible long-term changes so far. The intra-annual velocity distribution in the central ablation zone probably reflects the evolution of the basal drainage system. Based on ice thickness measurements and simple ice-dynamic assumptions, the total volume of Fedchenko glacier is 123.4 ± 8 km3.

Phenomenon of Culture Convergence and Dwelling Houses in Southwest Multi-Ethnic Mixed Areas

The southwestern mountainous area distributes numerous minority groups, which have been inhabited showing the characters of large dispersion, small settlements and mixed together living method. After a long-term exchange and integration, the different ethnic groups have formed certain common features, also the types of dwelling buildings follow the same rule. For the common features of various ethnic groups dwellings, this paper tries to comprehensively interpret the influence of ethnic origin, mode of production, marriage form, ethnic relations, religious beliefs etc. on the dwelling houses in the mixed areas, in order to in-depth understand China's remote mountainous border region culture and minority culture.

The Role of North American Music Educators in the Introduction of the Kodály Method in Taiwan

The island now called Taiwan was a Japanese protectorate from 1895-1945, and elementary schools began to provide instruction in music during that period. (1) The nation took its current formal name, the Republic of China (ROC), in 1949, after the Japanese relinquished control, but the island remained under Chinese martial law until 1987. It was during this martial law period, beginning in the 1970s, that the Taiwanese government began to exhibit increasing interest in local issues and topics related to the island. (2) Due to the Taiwanese government's increasing attention, it became fashionable during that decade to collect and promote Taiwanese folk arts, including indigenous music. These new activities and interests, and the fact that by that time music had been taught in Taiwanese elementary schools for more than seventy-five years, laid the foundations for the subsequent importation of the Kodaly method to the island. (3) This importation began in the mid-1980s, near the end of the martial law period. According to Taiwanese music educator and scholar Mei-Ling Lai Kou, beginning in the 1980s there was very rapid social change, with greater openness, cultural diversity, and freedom of thought. (4) These attitudes fostered the acceptance of new ideas. The era was also a time of rapid economic growth, especially after the lifting of martial law. Economic prosperity gave people more time and money to invest in social programs, including education. Thus, social, economic, and political changes paved the way for improvements in education and many other aspects of society, while at the same time the country became more open to new ideas. During this time of social revitalization, economic growth, and increasing political freedom, several North American music educators collaborated with Taiwanese music educators to launch the Kodaly method in Taiwan. This article discusses the influences of these North American music educators on their Taiwanese counterparts, and some of the activities of both, during the early stages of this introduction. Initial American Connection The first music educator who introduced the Kodaly method to Taiwan was Tian-Hui Xu. After graduating from the National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei in 1965, he taught aboriginal children until 1971. During this early period of his career, Xu discovered that his aboriginal students loved to sing but could not read music. When he attempted to teach them to read music, they had difficulty singing on pitch and lost interest in singing. Consequently, he taught them through rote singing using solfege with movable-do. When he began to take his aboriginal children's choirs to competitions, he discovered that the students sang in tune better than many children from urban areas who could read music. (5) Later, Xu traveled to the United States to study choral conducting under Byron McGilvray at San Francisco State University. Xu's study of choral conducting and education led him to solfege, which eventually led him to the Kodaly method. After receiving a master's degree in choral conducting in 1982, he returned to Taiwan. (6) With the encouragement of a Taiwanese entrepreneur named Yong-Qing Wang, Xu spent the next few years again among Taiwan's aboriginal children. He taught music in remote mountainous regions, helping teachers uncover singing talents and improving music education for the aboriginal students. Disappointed by the small number of teachers and inadequate facilities and general funding available to the aboriginal people, but impressed with the abundance of talent among them, Xu sought and acquired external funding to organize the first Aboriginal Elementary and Secondary Teachers Music Camp in 1985. He turned to his former teacher and advisor at San Francisco State University, Byron McGilvray, for help in organizing and presenting choral training workshops for the aboriginal music teachers at this camp. …

The social dimension of biodiversity policy in the European Union: Valuing the benefits to vulnerable communities

This paper uses GIS-based mapping tools and economic valuation of ecosystem goods and services to explore the social dimension of biodiversity policy. We investigate the linkages between biodiversity, ecosystem service values, and socio-economic vulnerability indicators in a spatially explicit framework and at different geographic scales. Our focus is on Europe, where biodiversity and ecosystem benefits have been well studied for many ecosystems, such as forests, coastal ecosystems and freshwater wetlands. The analysis focuses in particular on rural agricultural areas and remote mountainous regions accounting for the differences across various income groups, both at national and regional levels. The results of the study provide useful insights for EU policymakers in designing policy instruments that can promote biodiversity conservation and prevent natural resource degradation, on the one hand, while contributing to social stability and human livelihoods, on the other hand. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.