Resource Evaluation System Research Articles

Quantitative evaluation of resource and environment pressure in Qinghai Province, China based on footprint family

In order to effectively evaluate the influence of human activities on the resource and environment, this paper constructed an resource and environment pressure evaluation system based on footprint family, and calculated the ecological footprint, carbon footprint, water footprint, and resource and environment pressure in Qinghai Province. The results showed that from 1990 to 2013, the ecological footprint per capita in Qinghai Province increased from 1.32 hm2 to 3.32 hm2, and biological capacity per capita decreased from 2.33 hm2 to 2.07 hm2. Since 2006 there was ecological deficit. However, the biomass surplus existed during 1990-2013. The carbon footprint per capita increased from 5.82 t to 15.85 t, which had been more than 7.93 times of the target to address climate change. The water footprint per capita decreased from 967.67 m3 to 732.05 m3. Since 1990, the ecological pressure was at low grade (1b), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions pressure was enhanced from low grade (1b) to above-average grade (2b), the water pressure was at very low grade (1a), the resource and environment pressure increased from very low grade (1a) to low grade (1b). The rate of contribution of ecological pressure and water resource pressure to resources and environment pressure gradually decreased, whereas, the rate of contribution of GHG emission pressure to resources and environment pressure gradually increased. The resource and environment pressure had spatial heterogeneity. In 2013, it was at very high grade (3b) in Xining City, at above-average grade (2b) in Haidong City, at below-average grade (2a) in Haixi State and atvery low grade (1a) in the rest regions. The main resource and environment pressure source also had obvious spatial heterogeneity. In future, differentiation strategies should be taken in the decompression progress.

Human Resources Evaluation System in the Healthcare Setting: A Qualitative Study in Italy

In the last thirty years, many reforms have deeply changed the organizational and managerial models adopted in the Italian healthcare system with the increasing adoption of different rules focused on the efficiency and effectiveness standards in the resources allocation. As a consequence, public and private healthcare organizations pay more and more attention to their human resources by searching and implementing different policies aimed to promote, develop and withhold employees with high skills and competences. In this direction, scholars and practitioners significantly and increasingly tend to focus on the evaluation system topic by trying to find the most effective models able to make the employees’ performance successful. This paper analyzes the impact of the assessment policies adopted by the organizations on the employees’ performance. In this study some relevant factors have been considered, such as the perception of equity by the employees (the concrete care providers), the leadership style, and the perception of wellbeing by the same employees within organizations. This is an exploratory study conducted through a qualitative approach by using a case study methodology. This research is grounded on an in-depth investigation of the private clinic case in the Centre-Southern Italy. This study can extend the previous theoretical and empirical contributions on the evaluation system within healthcare organizations thanks to the adoption of a wide analysis perspective, allowing to focus on aspects usually underrepresented in the existing literature, such as the perception of equity, the level of wellbeing at workplace, and the relational leadership.

Design and Develop Resources Investigation and Evaluation System of Electric Power DSM

More and more deep integrated resource planning methods and demand side management (DSM) technologies have been studied and applied in China. Using technological and economic means of DSM, exploiting energy-saving potentialities from demand side, balancing load, easing contradictions of power structure, improving energy utilization rate, etc. have been important tasks in electric power enterprises. Based on this background, the paper designed and developed resources investigation and evaluation system of electric power DSM, which could investigate electricity resources of DSM of China, and implement energy-saving potential evaluation and energy efficiency analysis. From aspects of technology, economy, management, etc. suggestions were proposed for DSM, trying to be more rational and effective to allocate and use electricity resources, seeking satisfaction of power demands to the greatest degree, thus promote sustainable development of electric power enterprises effectively.

A Review of Forest Resources and Forest Biodiversity Evaluation System in China

China is a country rich in diverse forest ecosystems due to the large span of the country, complex topography, and multiple climate regimes. In this paper, the basic information of forest resources in China was briefly introduced and the current state in the measurements of forest biodiversity and the establishment of forest biodiversity index systems in related studies were reviewed. The results showed that a lot of studies on forest biodiversity have been conducted mostly at landscape or stand level in China and the commonly used biodiversity indicators were identified and compared. Several comprehensive forest biodiversity index systems were proposed. However, there are still some problems during the construction of forest biodiversity assessment system. Due to the late establishment of biodiversity monitoring system in China, the availability of data that could be included in a forest biodiversity index system is limited, which hurdles the precise assessment of forest biodiversity. It is suggested to develop long-term monitoring stations and keep data recording consistently. Concerns should also be given to the construction of the framework of the forest biodiversity index system and the determination of the indicators’ weight. The results will provide reference for the establishment of national or regional forest biodiversity evaluation indicator systems in China.

Biodiversity conservation in Changbai Mountain Biosphere Reserve, northeastern China: status, problem, and strategy

The Changbai Mountain Biosphere Reserve (CMBR) is the largest and one of the earliest natural reserves established in China. The continuous losses of species and ecosystems in the reserve since its establishment have raised numerous concerns within China and beyond, which also leads some people to question the function and efficiency of natural reserves in protecting biological and ecological resources. By collecting the published data, conducting field investigation, and interviewing local people, we present the current status of biological and ecological diversity/resources in the reserve and analyze the major factors causing biodiversity loss in the reserve in an ecological and socio-economic context. We found that the high human population pressure, mismanagement practices of resources, a poor resource evaluation system which underestimates the ecological value of the natural reserve, an inappropriate economic development policy, and rapid expansion of the tourist industry were the major causes leading to the biodiversity loss in the reserve in the past few decades. In order to manage the biological resources and biodiversity in the CMBR in a sustainable way, we recommend some strategies and measures which include balancing economic development and biological/ecological conservation, controlling human population in the reserve, encouraging collaboration within and outside the reserve, especially the areas around the reserve, enhancing governmental assistance and subsidy to the local residents, and promoting scientific research and biodiversity education in the local communities.

Bark thickness equations for five commercial tree species in regrowth forests of Northern New South Wales

Summary Bark thickness at any point along the stem of eucalypt regrowth tree species is related to over-bark diameter at that point, height above ground at point of measurement along the stem, total tree height and breast height diameter over-bark. Equations have been derived for predicting bark thickness as a function of these variables and of over-bark diameter along the stem. Using these equations eliminates the need for routine bark-gauge measurements and their associated measurement errors and helps to accelerate the derivation of more precise stem volume functions. When used in conjunction with a tree or log taper function, the equations can provide estimates of the volume of bark resulting from harvesting and available for utilisation. Using data collected for taper and volume functions development for the Resource and Management Evaluation System at State Forests of New South Wales, nine different bark thickness equations were fitted for Eucalyptus pilularis, E. obliqua, E. andrewsii, E. saligna, and Corymbia maculata growing in northern coastal areas of New South Wales. Comparisons using fit statistics for all species and test statistics based an independent data set for E. pilularis, show that some equations were systematically biased for all species and it was recommended that they should not be used. The equation developed by Cao and Pepper (1986), labelled equation [8], was found to be the most consistent for all species.

Micro computer‐based geographic information system technology for resource assessment and rural development planning

Abstract The Comprehensive Resource Inventory and Evaluation System (CRIES) Project uses a systematic approach in natural resource assessment and land evaluation for development planning and policy analysis. In part, this involves the creation of an operational capability within selected planning institutions to develop an integrated resource data base and analyze with custom software to the comparative advantage of resource production alternatives. For this purpose, a number of software modules were developed, including mainframe and micro computer‐based Geographic Information System (GIS) software. This paper describes the latest micro computer GIS version, namely, the Master File Creator Program (GEOMAST) and the Geographic Resource Analysis Program (GEORAP) ‐ of the Comprehensive Resource Inventory and Evaluation System (CRIES) Geographic Information System (GIS) as modified for IBM‐PC, Model XT or compatible micro‐computers using the MS‐DOS operating system. GEOMAST provides the capability to store, ...

Integrated Remote Sensing and Information Management Procedures for Agricultural Production Potential Assessment and Resource Policy Design in Developing Countries

SUMMARYThe recent past is characterized by rapid developments in remote sensing and applied information system technology that allow for large-area, cost-effective resource inventory and assessment procedures in support of national resource development planning and policy analysis. The generation of a nationally consistent resource data base is a prerequisite for national/regional planning, agricultural sector assessment and related evaluation of development strategies and policy design. Development of an integrated and reliable resource data base and its applied analysis is especialy critical for developing nations where agriculture constitutes a major economic activity.A resource inventory and analysis approach is discussed using procedures and concepts abstracted from applied case studies carried out by the Comprehensive Resource Inventory and Evaluation System (CRIES) project at Michigan State University in collaboration with the US Agency for International Development and the US Department of Agriculture. The CRIES project uses a multidisciplinary approach to: 1) assist developing nations to analyse their agricultural production potential; and 2) enhance their institutional capabilities for analysis of rural development planning and policy design. Project staff has collaborated, within their respective disciplines, with counterparts in the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Syria, Honduras and Jamaica. Additional collaboration is in progress with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Kenya. Various concepts and procedures used in the CRIES project activities are discussed. Emphasis is placed on remote sensing and analysis procedures within an applied resource information system context.

The Concept and Evaluation of the Human Resources Test and Evaluation System (HRTES)

Meaningful operational testing requires: a test plan which will lead to the measurement of critical human performance in a methodologically sound manner; an evaluation of the acceptability of the resulting measured performance; and a diagnosis of the causes of inadequate human performance. The Human Resources Test and Evaluation System (HRTES) is a method for aiding test planners and evaluators in the production of test plans, evaluations, and diagnoses which include a consideration of human performance. This paper consists of general descriptions of the problems of operational testing, the HRTES concepts for solving these problems, and the method for a formative evaluation of HRTES, itself.

Resource suitability analysis in regional planning—with special reference to Wisconsin, USA

The demands and needs of our presently increasing population require that the social decisions for land use must be based on the best and most reliable information that the decision-makers can obtain. Growing mass of natural resource information should be presented in a concise and practical form which the planners and public administrators can readily use without a need to learn about natural resources in detail. One of the means to present this information is a resource evaluation system which consists of four levels of maps: basic resource maps, single-factor maps, limiting-factor maps and final land suitability maps. The basic process used in the system is developing a series of individual maps showing specific kinds of information and superimposing them to identify a degree of suitability for a specific land use. The authors provide an overview of the use of land suitability maps in land use planning in the United States; show what natural resource data planners can require and put to use; outline the way in which earth scientists can evaluate and present the data needed; and finally demonstrate the land suitability analysis by case studies. Also briefly discussed is the need for information other than earth-science data. Land use planning and decision-making process is an intricate mixture of scientific, engineering, ecological, sociological, economic, cultural and political factors and forces. Obvious as it may seem this fact is nevertheless often ignored in practice resulting in misunderstandings and mutual disbelief of parties involved.