Sustainable Use Of Ecosystems Research Articles

Spatial organisation of the soil macrofauna community of an oak forest in the steppe zone of Ukraine

Background. Environmental impact assessments and the development of measures for the protection and sustainable use of ecosystems should take into account that not only steppe ecosystems but also forest, marsh, salt marsh and meadow ecosystems are referenced for the steppe zone. A comparative approach requires the study of reference ecosystems to understand how much a particular ecosystem has been transformed or how far it is from natural patterns in the restoration process. The soil macrofaunal community of the forest ecosystem of the right bank of the Samara River can be considered a reference for many forest ecosystems in the region. The aim of this study was to identify patterns of spatial organization of the soil macrofaunal community of an oak forest on the right bank of the Samara River. Materials and Methods. A study was conducted in a deciduous woodland located in an oak forest on the right bank of the Samara River. The study area was divided into 5 transects, each consisting of 20 sampling points with a 2 m distance between rows. The samples of the soil macrofauna were taken from a single block of soil that was 25×25×30 cm deep and removed quickly. Vascular plant species lists were recorded for each 2×2 m subplot. The soil penetration resistance and electrical conductivity were measured. Soil faunal trophic activity was assessed by means of a bait lamina test. Results and Discussion. The spatial structure of the community is complex in terms of hierarchy. The driver of the broad-scale component of spatial variation in the community is the properties of the topsoil, mainly the density of the litter. Vegetation cover forms a broad component of the spatial variation in soil macrofauna. An important factor in structuring ecological space is the location of trees. The pure spatial pattern is represented by broad-, medium-, and fine-scale components. Conclusion. The soil macrofaunal community of an oak forest on the slope of the right bank of a steppe river has a high level of abundance and taxonomic and ecological diversity. The spatial distribution of trees forms a broad-scale component of variation in the soil macrofaunal community, and herbaceous cover forms a medium-scale component. The fine-scale component of community variation is due to neutral factors.

Stakeholders in the acquisition, preservation, and dissemination of indigenous knowledge projects

Indigenous knowledge preservation can lead to sustainable development and the protection of the environment, facilitating the achievement of one of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, number 15, which seeks to protect the sustainable use of ecosystems to avoid desertification and land degradation. This article reports on a study aimed at identifying the stakeholders to be involved in the acquisition, preservation, and dissemination of IK in the digital era. The study considered the Ulwazi and Mukurtu projects, which are documented in the literature and representing the contexts of developing and developed countries, respectively. A qualitative approach triangulating data collection techniques was employed by doing a systematic literature review on four databases, i.e., Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Dimensions, followed by a web content analysis of the websites and official social media platforms of the two projects. Content analysis was used to select the relevant documents, followed by online interviews to collect data from two project administrators to validate the findings. The data were thematically analysed using the NVIVO software. The findings provided valuable information about the role and functions of stakeholders in the context of the model that is being designed for IK projects. It was noted that all stakeholders should be involved so that no one is left behind.

Essential oils and extracts of plants as biocides against microorganisms isolated from the ruins of the Roman city of Conímbriga (Portugal)

Biodeterioration of monumental complexes is in large part due to the proliferation of various microorganisms that attack the physical–chemical structures of support materials. Various conservation and restoration interventions use commercial biocides of synthetic origin, which exhibit some human and environmental toxicity and sometimes side effects on support materials. The main objective of this work is the assessment of new biocides obtained from endemic Mediterranean plants, to be used in the preservation of cultural heritage with the goal of contributing to the sustainable use of ecosystems and to the development of Mediterranean local communities. The biocidal potential of essential oils (EOs) and solvent extracts (SEs) (ethanol and n-hexane) obtained from four plants were evaluated: Thymus mastichina (Tm), Mentha pulegium (Mp), Foeniculum vulgare (Fv), and Lavandula viridis (Lv). Microorganisms collected at an emblematic site of Portuguese cultural heritage, the ruins of the Roman city of Conímbriga, were used to evaluate the biocidal activity of the EOs and SEs. It can be concluded that (i) SEs did not exhibit fungicidal nor bactericidal activity, except for one fungus specie; (ii) biocidal activity of EOs depends on the microorganism specie. The EOs showed a relative average biocidal activity (when compared to the commercial biocide Biotin T (1% v/v)) of 64%, 32%, 30%, and 25% for Mp, Fv, Lv, and Tm. On carbonate rocks, the application of Fv and Mp EOs up to 3 layers do not promote significant color/tonality changes in the surface of the rock. And the application of three layers of Lv and four layers of Fv, Mp, and Lv OEs only promote the occurrence of blurs or stains (variation of tonality) on rocks that presents very low porosity. It can also be noted that the EO of Mp has the broadest spectrum of activity. The results allow considering the use of Mp, Fv, Lv, and Tm EOs as valid alternatives to commercial biocides, providing a prospective application in the field of green conservation of building heritage.

Research Status and Trends of Agrobiodiversity and Traditional Knowledge Based on Bibliometric Analysis (1992–Mid-2022)

Traditional knowledge is a favored research area in agrobiodiversity conservation at home and abroad, and plays a vital role in the sustainable use of ecosystems, livelihood support, and food security. In this paper, the WoS Core Collection was used as the data source to statistically analyze the literature on the topic of agrobiodiversity and traditional knowledge research. The results show the following: (1) The number of articles published in agrobiodiversity and traditional knowledge research has been increasing annually. (2) The United States is the most influential country in this field of research, and other leading countries include India, Mexico, Germany, and Italy. (3) The existing research is mainly in the field of natural science, and the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine is the most crucial journal in terms of the number of articles published. (4) Neither authors nor institutional collaboration networks have formed a close transnational collaboration network. (5) Popular research in this area includes the conservation of local varieties, agricultural landscape changes, livelihood support, and agroforestry systems. (6) In addition to the ongoing focus on natural ecological aspects of research, future research will focus more on cultural and social benefits. Finally, we propose to enhance the exploration of quantitative analysis research methods, strengthen interdisciplinary research exchanges, expand the breadth of disciplinary research, strengthen stakeholder cooperation, and promote the construction of relevant policies and regulations.

Edna2021: The fourth annual meeting of The eDNA Society “Species distributions, and beyond”

AbstractThe eDNA Society was founded in Japan in 2018 to develop eDNA science as a discipline that contributes to the human well‐being and the sustainable use of ecosystems. Since then, the society has expanded attracting a wide variety of people from international universities, research institutes, consultant companies, and local/national governments. Here we report edna2021, the fourth annual meeting of The eDNA Society, which was held mainly online on November 20–21, 2021. We had c.a. 500 participants in total, from at least 15 countries. In the meeting, we discussed not only the technical aspects of environmental DNA but also its potential for various applications including its combinations with environmental RNA, sediment core samples, population genetic analyses, etc.

Hybrid Models Applied to Create a Classification Index of Fire Risk Levels in Brazil

Fire has always exerted a great attraction on humans. Fires generally provide social and environmental impacts at the places where they occur. Several Brazilian localities, especially in the driest months of the year, are more susceptible to this phenomenon. In this paper, an index able of classifying levels of fire risk in areas geographically located in Brazil. This paper presents an index capable of classifying fire risk levels elaborated from neuro-fuzzy systems. Data from the municipality of Sorocaba were used to test the proposed models. The results obtained by this index are promising, reaching values of mean absolute error below 3% when applied in the prediction of the risk of fire for the maximum period of up to 3 days. The proposed index can be used as a tool to support and assist various research agencies or institutes that need to identify the possibility of burning, corroborating the measures to reduce atmospheric emitters and meeting Goal 15 of Agenda 30 as defined by the UN in 2015, which aims to stimulate conservation actions and the recovery and sustainable use of ecosystems.

Urban sprawl into Natura 2000 network over Europe.

Urban growth is a major threat to biodiversity conservation at the global scale. Its impacts are expected to be especially detrimental when it sprawls into the landscape and reaches sites of high conservation value due to the species and ecosystems they host, such as protected areas. I analyzed the degree of urbanization (i.e., urban cover and growth rate) from 2006 to 2015 in protected sites in the Natura 2000 network, which, according to the Habitats and Birds Directives, harbor species and habitats of high conservation concern in Europe. I used data on the degree of land imperviousness from COPERNICUS to calculate and compare urban covers and growth rates inside and outside Natura 2000. I also analyzed the relationships of urban cover and growth rates with a set of characteristics of Natura sites. Urban cover inside Natura 2000 was 10 times lower than outside (0.4% vs. 4%) throughout the European Union. However, the rates of urban growth were slightly higher inside than outside Natura 2000 (4.8% vs. 3.9%), which indicates an incipient urban sprawl inside the network. In general, Natura sites affected most by urbanization were those surrounded by densely populated areas (i.e., urban clusters) that had a low number of species or habitats of conservation concern, albeit some member states had high urban cover or growth rate or both in protected sites with a large number of species or habitats of high conservation value. Small Natura sites had more urban cover than large sites, but urban growth rates were highest in large Natura sites. Natura 2000 is protected against urbanization to some extent, but there is room for improvement. Member states must enact stricter legal protection and control law enforcement to halt urban sprawl into protected areas under the greatest pressure from urban sprawl (i.e., close to urban clusters). Such actions are particularly needed in Natura sites with high urban cover and growth rates and areas where urbanization is affecting small Natura sites of high conservation value, which are especially vulnerable and concentrated in the Mediterranean region.

Medusas y sifonóforos del estuario del río Mataje-Bahía Ancón de Sardinas

Zooplankton is vitally important as a link between primary producers and higher consumers, the study of these organisms can be used in assessments for sustainable and sustainable use of ecosystems and biological resources in the aquatic environment. In this research paper were identified a total 10 species of cnidarians, represented by Amphynema dinema, Obelia sp., Clytiahemisphaerica, Mitrocomella grandis, Rhopalonema velatum, Bougainvilla muscus, Ectopleura dumortieri, Eucheilota nemoni and Eutonina scintillans, ranked in 4 orders of the class hydrozoa with 10 families and a class; the Scyphozoa class, present with the Rhizostomeae order and Stomolophidae family and species Stomolophus meleagris while siphonophores wererepresented by the suborder Calycophorae and Diphyidae family, a subfamily (Diphyinae) and 4 species, represented by Chelophyes contorta, Muggiaea atlantica, Lensia conoidea and Lensia multicristata. During the development of the research field trip were taken 15 zooplankton samples on the field of Estuary-Bay Mataje Ancon de Sardinas, during October 2012.And a total of 13 zooplankton taxa were identified, distributed throughout the study area and its highest population density was located in front of Pampanal and El Viento communities. Its composition was mainly of copepods, barnacle nauplii and larvae of Decapoda in E-2, while zoea larvae of Decapoda braquiura belonged to E1. The stages of fish eggs wereabundant in E-5A against the commune of Palma Real and the outside of the Bay of Ancón de Sardinas (E9), while the highest density of fish larvae was evident in front of El Viento community (E-2)Pampanal (E-1) outside of the Bay of Ancón de Sardinas (E-9). These places could be considered as ecological niches of high biological productivity. However, lower biomasssites were recorded in stations 4 at the boundary between Ecuador and Colombia, (E-5) diagonal to the Palma Real commune, (E-9) located in the river mouth of the Bay of Ancon de Sardinas

ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION OF EARTH'S ECOSYSTEM AND THE DECADE OF ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION

Restoration ecology has demonstrated an astounding growth as a new discipline of applied science, since its emergence in the past decades. Future-aimed restoration should acknowledge the changing and unpredictable environment of the future, assume the dynamic nature of ecological communities with multiple trajectories, and connect landscape elements for improving ecosystem functions and structures. Ecosystem loss is depriving the world of carbon sinks, like forests and wetlands, at a time when humanity can least afford it. Ecosystem restoration aims to repair some damage done to the environment and regain ecological functionality. The United Nations (UN) recently declared 2021 to 2030 the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration- a global mission to revive billions of hectares, from forests to farmlands, from the top of mountains to the depth of the sea. The path to a more sustainable use of ecosystems must begin with the development of inclusive wealth measures which capture natural, social, human and manufactured capital and are thus more accurate ways to measure economic progress.

Ecosystem services: A new framework for old ideas, or advancing environmental decision‐making? Learning from Canadian forerunners to the ES concept

Frameworks of ecosystem services (ES) are promoted as a new and important way to recognize, understand, and account for nature's benefits. We questioned assertions of the novelty of ES ideas and conducted a comparative analysis of approaches in planning, landscape architecture, and sustainable forest management against the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment ES framework. We conclude that the newer Millennium Ecosystem Assessment ES framing may assist planners in connecting local land‐use change to human well‐being, assessing trade‐offs, and accounting for future uncertainty. Analogous approaches such as sustainable forest management offer practical insights, for example, about gauging, guiding, and reporting on sustainable use of ecosystems. We encourage environmental planners to engage with ES researchers to develop the approach and advance planning practice.

Unraveling households’ natural resource management strategies: a case study in Jalisco, Mexico

ABSTRACT The analysis of resource management strategies is considered to be relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems. In Mexico, ejidos are the most important of the land tenure institutions that grant access to resources inside communities. Although it is recognized that an ejido’s internal structure creates different social groups, few studies have explored their resource management strategies. The aim of this study was to characterize natural resource management strategies in two ejidos in a highly biodiverse region on the southern coast of Jalisco, Mexico. We sought to identify differences in strategies and the variables that explain these differences. We took the household as the unit of analysis, and conducted 55 structured interviews that tackled different aspects of households’ productive activities and natural resource management. We used cluster and ordination analyses to generate a typology of natural resources management strategies, and linear models to identify the variables that differed among groups. The results show that four different natural resources management strategies were strongly associated with differences in land tenure and the type of ecosystem that a household manages. This information can help us to enhance and diversify strategies for sustaining both ecosystems and community livelihoods.

Assessing the Capacity of Ecosystems to Supply Ecosystem Services Using Remote Sensing and An Ecosystem Accounting Approach

Ecosystems contribute to economic development through the supply of ecosystem services such as food and fresh water. Information on ecosystems and their services is required to support policy making, but this information is not captured in economic statistics. Ecosystem accounting has been developed to integrate ecosystems and ecosystem services into national accounts. Ecosystem accounting includes the compilation of an ecosystem services supply and use account, which reflects actual flows of ecosystem services, and the ecosystem capacity account, which reflects the capacity of ecosystems to sustainably supply ecosystem services. A capacity assessment requires detailed data on ecosystem processes, which are often not available over large scales. In this study, we examined how net primary productivity derived from remote sensing can be used as an indicator to assess changes in the capacity of ecosystems to supply services. We examine the spatial and temporal patterns in this capacity for the Orinoco river basin from 2001 to 2014. Specifically, we analyze the capacity of six types of ecosystems to supply timber, pastures for grazing cattle, oil palm fresh fruit bunches and to sequester carbon. We compared ecosystem capacities with the level of ecosystem service supply to assess a sustainable use of ecosystems. Our study provides insights on how the capacity of ecosystems can be quantified using remote sensing data in the context of ecosystem accounting. Ecosystem capacity indicators indicate ecosystems change and harvesting-regeneration patterns which are important for the design and monitoring of sustainable management regimes for ecosystems.

Ecosystem Vulnerability Review: Proposal of an Interdisciplinary Ecosystem Assessment Approach

To safeguard the sustainable use of ecosystems and their services, early detection of potentially damaging changes in functional capabilities is needed. To support a proper ecosystem management, the analysis of an ecosystem’s vulnerability provide information on its weaknesses as well as on its capacity to recover after suffering an impact. However, the application of the vulnerability concept to ecosystems is still an emerging topic. After providing background on the vulnerability concept, we summarize existing ecosystem vulnerability research on the basis of a systematic literature review with a special focus on ecosystem type, disciplinary background, and more detailed definition of the ecosystem vulnerability components. Using the Web of ScienceTM Core Collection, we overviewed the literature from 1991 onwards but used the 5 years from 2011 to 2015 for an in-depth analysis, including 129 articles. We found that ecosystem vulnerability analysis has been applied most notably in conservation biology, climate change research, and ecological risk assessments, pinpointing a limited spreading across the environmental sciences. It occurred primarily within marine and freshwater ecosystems. To avoid confusion, we recommend using the unambiguous term ecosystem vulnerability rather than ecological, environmental, population, or community vulnerability. Further, common ground has been identified, on which to define the ecosystem vulnerability components exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. We propose a framework for ecosystem assessments that coherently connects the concepts of vulnerability, resilience, and adaptability as different ecosystem responses. A short outlook on the possible operationalization of the concept by ecosystem vulnerabilty indices, and a conclusion section complete the review.

Impacts on the ecosystem and human well-being of the marine protected area in Cu Lao Cham, Vietnam

Biodiversity conservation can alter the ecosystems and ecosystem services that are vital for human well-being. Understanding this linkage is essential for management planning to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems and their values to human well-being. This study evaluates the impacts of coral reef conservation and marine protected areas (MPAs) on the well-being of fishing communities in Central Vietnam. The Cu Lao Cham MPA is chosen as the case study. Coral reef health and four aspects of human well-being (i.e., catch rate [also related to food security], access to the resource, employment, and income) are investigated following the protection in this MPA. Data on the four different aspects were gathered from different sources. The results show that there is good evidence for how coral reef conservation can transfer the flow of benefits from the ecosystem to local people. However, trade-offs also occur as a result of the development of tourism, including the degradation of fish resources and the environment. The managers of the MPA and the community should take into account trade-offs in resource management and should focus on appropriate MPA planning and fisheries management outside the MPA to achieve better outcomes for coral reef ecosystems and the present and future needs of the local community.

Monitoring Phytoplankton and Nutrients in Tagus Estuary, Portugal, for 20 years

Monitoring Phytoplankton and Nutrients in Tagus Estuary, Portugal, for 20 years

Shadow Value of Ecosystem Resilience in Complex Natural Land as a Wild Pollinator Habitat

AbstractThis article investigates the shadow value of resilience in complex natural lands acting as wild pollinator habitats. We capture the linkage between pollination services in crop production and habitat conditions in the surrounding natural land with a bioeconomic model. Our case study is buckwheat, which is produced in the hilly and mountainous region of central Japan and is greatly dependent on diverse fauna for pollination services. We model the mechanism of regime shifts in ecosystems consisting of buckwheat fields and the surrounding natural land with a threshold estimation model. We then find that the forest around the crop fields, which serves as a habitat for wild pollinators, is a determinant of an ecological threshold that causes regime shifts. We calculate the shadow value of resilience provided by forest habitat around a unit of buckwheat field to be $9,796, implying that the total value of resilience in complex natural land amounts to half of the stock price of buckwheat land. This overlooked value gives us useful insights on the sustainable use of ecosystems, including both pollinator‐mediated crop fields and habitats for pollinators.

Los servicios ecosistémicos como soporte para la toma de decisiones ambiental y socialmente sustentables

The theory of ecosystem services (ES) needs to be operationalized to contribute to practices leading to sustainable use of ecosystems, which includes solving trade-offs between private and public benefits and incorporating monetary and non-monetary values to help inform decisions. We developed a framework to analyse the impacts of farmers’ management alternatives on Nothofagus antarctica (G. Forst.) Oerst. forest in northern Patagonia, and analysed synergies and trade-offs between private and public benefits based on three conceptual and methodological approaches: a) a state-and-transition model of ecosystem dynamics, and b) indicators of values of ecosystem service benefits based on the cascade model, implemented as c) a decision support tool based on a Bayesian network. We optimized a utility function for short (0-10 yr) and long (70-140 yr) term management decisions (levels of grazing, logging and tree planting) based on monetary and non-monetary indicators of benefits that fulfilled “farmer’s satisfaction” objectives. We then assessed the consequences of these decisions on the fulfilment of public benefits as defined by the National Forest Law when projected into short (0-10 yr), intermediate (10-40 yr) and long (70-140 yr) time horizons. We found that when the short-term decisions are projected into a long-time horizon, they lead to high losses of benefits, mainly linked to “regulating and maintenance” ES. On the other hand, long-term decisions improved the level of benefits in degraded systems but resulted in the degradation of well-preserved forests. The decisions that optimize farmer’s satisfaction did not change with different weights of “farm income” in the utility function, indicating the absence of trade-offs between monetary and non-monetary benefits considered in the utility function. The tool developed helps to show long-term impacts of management, and discloses cause-effect relationships between levels of use and multiple benefits. It can therefore support measures aiming to raise awareness about degradation trends, and improve the functional understanding of the system that can lead to identify solutions for socio-economic and environmental sustainability. https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.17.27.1.1.295

Quantitative criteria for choosing targets and indicators for sustainable use of ecosystems

Wide-ranging, indicator-based assessments of large, complex ecosystems are playing an increasing role in guiding environmental policy and management. An example is the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which requires Member States to take measures to reach “good environmental status” (GES) in European marine waters. However, formulation of indicator targets consistent with the Directive’s high-level policy goal of sustainable use has proven challenging. We develop a specific, quantitative interpretation of the concepts of GES and sustainable use in terms of indicators and associated targets, by sharply distinguishing between current uses to satisfy current societal needs and preferences, and unknown future uses. We argue that consistent targets to safeguard future uses derive from a requirement that any environmental state indicator should recover within a defined time (e.g. 30 years) to its pressure-free range of variation when all pressures are hypothetically removed. Within these constraints, specific targets for current uses should be set. Routes to implementation of this proposal for indicators of fish-community size structure, population size of selected species, eutrophication, impacts of non-indigenous species, and genetic diversity are discussed. Important policy implications are that (a) indicator target ranges, which may be wider than natural ranges, systematically and rationally derive from our proposal; (b) because relevant state indicators tend to respond slowly, corresponding pressures should also be monitored and assessed; (c) support of current uses and safeguarding of future uses are distinct management goals, they require different types of targets, decision processes, and management philosophies.

Aspectos Jurídicos do Pagamento por Serviços Ambientais no Brasil

O presente artigo objetiva analisar os conceitos disponíveis e os principais objetivos do instituto denominado Pagamento por Serviços Ambientais PSA ou Ecossistêmicos, partindo da análise das normas existentes e do mapeamento dos principais projetos de lei apresentados na Câmara dos Deputados e no Senado, que versem sobre o tema. Pretende-se investigar se os sistemas de PSA podem ser reconhecidos como uma política pública ambiental válida, em consonância com as previsões constitucionais e com os princípios do Direito Ambiental, bem como se podem auxiliar na conservação e uso sustentável dos ecossistemas. Para tanto, partese do princípio de que a lógica dos sistemas de PSA é muito distinta daquela que predomina em nosso sistema normativo ambiental vigente, uma vez que as normas ambientais, em sua grande maioria, são baseadas em mecanismos de comando e controle. A lógica do PSA, ao contrário, não é pautada no estabelecimento de punição por atos prejudiciais ao meio ambiente, mas sim na busca de estímulo e contrapartidas financeiras a condutas ambientalmente desejáveis. Nesse sentido, os sistemas de Pagamento por Serviços Ambientais seriam uma inovação, se comparados aos sistemas de comando e controle, tendo como premissa não a internalização das externalidades negativas, mas das ações positivas; além do reconhecimento do valor social e econômico de atividades que proporcionem a conservação e uso sustentável dos ecossistemas e dos seus serviços.

Marshaling Social Responses to Environmental Changes

At the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 2016 conference, the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW) will officially announce the 12 Grand Challenges for Social Work (GCSW). AASWSW did a soft rollout of a preliminary set of Grand Challenges at the SSWR 2015 conference. After the 2015 preliminary rollout, additional adjustments were conducted and additional feedback was incorporated in preparation for the official announcement. The introduction of GCSW has the potential to be a watershed event for social work. I previously discussed them in an editorial on the unification and defining of the profession (Williams, 2015). GCSW are committed to developing a scientific base for our profession that supports social resolutions for positive change in several important areas of need (AASWSW, n.d.). Recently, the United Nations (UN) released its goals for 2030 in Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2015). In reviewing the UN 2030 agenda for sustainable development, the reader will notice that many of the UN goals overlap with GCSW (AASWSW, n.d.). This would suggest that the profession is on the right path in developing a comprehensive set of challenges where social work can focus its fiscal and intellectual resources to transform our systems. In this editorial, I would like to highlight one of the GCSW—creating social responses to a changing environment (AASWSW, n.d.). There are three goals in the UN 2030 agenda for sustainable development directly related to this challenge: (1) take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts; (2) conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development; and (3) protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems; sustainably manage forests; combat desertification; and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2015). Climate change, sustainable use of ecosystems, and biodiversity loss are not generally considered to be areas in which social workers have the skills, knowledge, and abilities to make a significant impact. However, there is a growing literature in social work and social science on sustainable development, biodiversity, and the environment ( Jones & Williams, 2011; Kemp et al., 2015; Kumssa, Jones, & Williams, 2009; Kumssa, Williams, Jones, & Des Marais, 2014; Miller & Hayward, 2014; Peeters, 2012; Swim, Clayton, & Howard, 2011). Creating social responses to environmental changes is one area in which social work can make tremendous impact.