Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-90-Xx).

Interviewing of the guests of Druskininkai took place on January 13 – February 4, 2007. Depending on the results of the interview, we can state that one of the key conditions for the development of ecological farming in the country is ecological consciousness of the consumers, as the production and consumption of ecological products establishes preconditions to improve the quality of life. Ecological product demand is increasing, but not enough to forecast the market development. One of the reasons to low increase of the ecological product market is still unformed trading structures of these products. 57 % of the respondents buy ecological products in the supermarkets, 30 % - in the markets, only 4 % - directly from the ecological farms, and 8 % - during the expositions. Realization of ecological products in the supermarkets should speed up the growth of the market of these products. Main problems in selling the ecological products in big supermarkets would be rather high markup as well as the lack of an express ecological product marking. 43 % of the respondents identify ecological products by a special ecological product category (section), i.e. they do not spare time in search of an ecological product. Ecological product demand is increasing; however, the trading infrastructure has not been formed yet. The most popular ecological product trading form is still not clear. Another, the primary, reason to low ecological product demand is low income. Residents and... [to full text]

In landscape ecology, it is widely acknowledged that landscape is as much a social and cultural entity as it is biophysical, and that people and place must be jointly considered to fully understand the evolution of spatial pattern. This thesis explores the overlapping biophysical and human dimensions of landscape in the context of an (i) ecological and (ii) ethnoecological classification on the local landscape of the Tayal Mrqwang indigenous people in north central Taiwan. The goal of the ecological classification was to identify ecosystem types for a ~3000 acre landscape by relating vegetation patterns to gradients of physiography, soil, humidity, light, pixel brightness, and human modification across 76 transect sample plots. Using multivariate analyses, seven ecosystem types were identified, ranging from xeric through submesic pine, bamboo, alder, and laurel forests to mesic evergreen broadleaved and mixed coniferous forests. At the broad scale, ecosystems were distributed along gradients of elevation, soil, humidity and human modification, while factors related to local variability in physiography and soil development were more important at the fine scale (i.e., within elevational ecoregions). Within lower elevation sites in particular, patterns of forest variation and soil development were resonant of ancestral practices, including shifting cultivation, terrace farming, arboriculture, and selective extraction. The objective of the ethnoecological classification was to explore whether the Mrqwang people categorize landscape variation according to systematic or multidimensional knowledge structures. Results of interviews and free-listing exercises revealed an unsystematized classification that recognizes a continuum of forest variation through the intersection of three overlapping categories: history of disturbance, topography and substrate, vegetation. These categories are modified through land tenure and toponyms. The classification appears accommodating of personal experience, and it is theorized that this flexibility results in dynamic knowledge that evolves with time, generating variable characterizations of forest variation rather than formalized categories. The thesis concludes that despite the lack of formalization, the Tayal are nonetheless highly cognizant of how current forest variation coincides with the environment and the activities of their ancestors. This knowledge represents immense local expertise and must not be excluded from conservation and co-management projects in the local area. / NSERC CGS-D

This thesis analyzes the global ecological crisis. It divides the global ecological crisis in to two major components: Climate change and biodiversity loss. Using a theoretical methodology based on comparing and applying a variety of lenses from within environmental sociology, the thesis asks and answers two questions: What are the causes of the global ecological crisis, and how can we solve it? Drawing on the perspectives of ecological modernization theory, ecological Marxism and deep ecology, the causes of and solutions to the global ecological crisis are identified. The primary causes of the crisis are found to be inefficient industrial technology, capitalism and an instrumentalist and anthropocentric view of the natural world. The primary solutions, therefore, must include a widespread shift towards clean and green technology, a transformative social revolution, and a new ecocentric respect for the intrinsic value of non-human life. The study offers many recommendations for policy makers.

The valuation of ecosystem services requires first and foremost, that the current level or stock of a service first be estimated. Here, I investigate the relationship between the fields of environmental science and ecological economics in their research effort of ecosystem services and the implications this may have on the ecosystem valuation research program. I investigate two ecological functions described as ecosystem services within specific ecosystem types: the flood control provisioning services of wetlands and pollination service provisioning by pollinator populations in agroecosystems. I examined the environmental literature to provide quantitative estimates of a) the distribution of the level of service delivered as well as b) the ability of environmental scientists to predict this level of service. The results presented here suggest a moderately strong correlation between research efforts in environmental science and ecological economics at the pooled level of ecosystem types and services. I suggest however, an integrated research enterprise between social and environmental scientists may provide greater efficiency by means of a global ecosystem service research network and repository. I found that, on average, consistent with conventional wisdom, wetlands do indeed have a positive effect by reducing the frequency and magnitude of floods, increasing low flows, and increasing water storage. In the same vein, I found on average and consistent with conventional wisdom, there is a consistent and comparatively strong association between pollinator abundance and agroecosystem productivity as inferred from measures of plant fertilization success. In both investigations however, metaregression analysis indicated that our current ability to predict either pollination or flood control services is poor to modest at best. The low predictive power combined with the observed heterogeneity in effect size in both investigations suggest that flood control service delivered by wetlands or pollination services delivered by natural pollinator populations in agroecosystems and the expected changes in the level of services delivered under a candidate management scenario, will have a large uncertainty. Such uncertainty should be explicitly incorporated into estimates of both the current economic value of ecosystem services, as well as estimates of how these values are likely to change under alternative management scenarios. Given these, I suggest that the implications for the development of Market-based instruments (MBIs) or any payment of ecosystem services to conserve ecosystem services: that the associated ecological function(s) must be few and well characterized, and we must agree on what endpoints ought to properly be used to characterize these functions. If this condition is not met, an ordinal ranking is the best we can do and in the absence of obvious enthusiasm for more detailed scientific research which leads to the conclusion that perhaps alternate strategies like command and control may be the better alternative to protect ecosystem services.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosopy (PhD) / An environmental history approach is used in this thesis as a foundation for the analysis of the social and environmental changes that have occurred from the ancient past to the present within the Paterson Valley in New South Wales, Australia. The study examines the biophysical basis of the valley’s ecological processes and then describes the influence of the activities of Aboriginal peoples and subsequent European colonisation on the landscape. The study makes use of the various methodologies within social and ecological systems to assist with the analysis. It demonstrates the value of concepts such as complex adaptive systems, the adaptive cycle, panarchy and ecosystem health as ways of conceptualising complex transdisciplinary issues to reach conclusions based on temporal and spatial evidence. The complex relationships that the Aboriginal peoples had with the environment are compared with the various and rapid phases of colonial influences and processes. The social dimension of the changes over time is examined particularly with respect to the Indigenous and European institutions and infrastructure that influence the landscape. A significant issue identified in the study was the changing influence of Western institutions on the ecosystem health of the Valley; from local to global. The implications of this on ecosystem health are discussed. The Valley’s landscapes are divided into alluvial and non-alluvial, with the latter receiving the most attention in the study primarily due to its more extant nature whereas the alluvial rainforest has been virtually eliminated through extensive land clearing. The analysis of the non-alluvial landscape shows how important the Indigenous land management practices were in the maintenance of a complex mosaic of vegetation types specifically influenced by fire. The impact of the removal of the Indigenous influences on the landscape and the imposition of European practices and processes have seen a major reduction in the Valley’s ecological complexity. The study identified processes and factors external to the Valley which are increasingly influencing it. Not all of these are detrimental but they result in the Valley’s ecosystem health being more dependent on global events and processes. The study demonstrates the value of the ecosystem health framework for conceptualising the Valley’s ecosystems and the adaptive cycle for analysing and understanding their changes over time. These approaches provide an opportunity to identify pathways for future management of the Valley’s resources.

[Truncated abstract] The species-rich Southwest Australian Floristic Region (SAFR) is a global biodiversity hotspot. Characterised by a Mediterranean-type climate and nutrient deficient landscape, this region is endowed with 7380 native vascular plant species/sub species, of which 49% are endemic and 2500 are of conservation concern. Despite the global significance of this region, there is still only a poor understanding of the factors influencing high diversity and endemism, and especially the population genetic consequences of narrow endemism and naturally fragmented species distribution. Holly leaved banksia (Banksia ilicifolia R. Br.), although widespread through Southwest Western Australia (SWWA), has a naturally fragmented distribution, with generally small populations restricted to swales and wetland fringes with depth to groundwater less than 10 m. As such, it provides an excellent model to better understand the ecological genetic consequences of local endemism, population size and natural population fragmentation . . . Products of wide outcrossing (over 30 km) showed a heterosis effect over local outcrossing, indicating increased ecological amplitude of offspring following interpopulation mating. These results suggest that the breeding and mating biology of B. ilicifolia counters the negative genetic erosion effects of narrow ecological amplitude and small population size. Recent habitat fragmentation, and reductions in population size and increased isolation, is impacting on these processes, but further research is required to assess the ultimate consequences of these genetic effects for population viability.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosopy (PhD) / An environmental history approach is used in this thesis as a foundation for the analysis of the social and environmental changes that have occurred from the ancient past to the present within the Paterson Valley in New South Wales, Australia. The study examines the biophysical basis of the valley’s ecological processes and then describes the influence of the activities of Aboriginal peoples and subsequent European colonisation on the landscape. The study makes use of the various methodologies within social and ecological systems to assist with the analysis. It demonstrates the value of concepts such as complex adaptive systems, the adaptive cycle, panarchy and ecosystem health as ways of conceptualising complex transdisciplinary issues to reach conclusions based on temporal and spatial evidence. The complex relationships that the Aboriginal peoples had with the environment are compared with the various and rapid phases of colonial influences and processes. The social dimension of the changes over time is examined particularly with respect to the Indigenous and European institutions and infrastructure that influence the landscape. A significant issue identified in the study was the changing influence of Western institutions on the ecosystem health of the Valley; from local to global. The implications of this on ecosystem health are discussed. The Valley’s landscapes are divided into alluvial and non-alluvial, with the latter receiving the most attention in the study primarily due to its more extant nature whereas the alluvial rainforest has been virtually eliminated through extensive land clearing. The analysis of the non-alluvial landscape shows how important the Indigenous land management practices were in the maintenance of a complex mosaic of vegetation types specifically influenced by fire. The impact of the removal of the Indigenous influences on the landscape and the imposition of European practices and processes have seen a major reduction in the Valley’s ecological complexity. The study identified processes and factors external to the Valley which are increasingly influencing it. Not all of these are detrimental but they result in the Valley’s ecosystem health being more dependent on global events and processes. The study demonstrates the value of the ecosystem health framework for conceptualising the Valley’s ecosystems and the adaptive cycle for analysing and understanding their changes over time. These approaches provide an opportunity to identify pathways for future management of the Valley’s resources.

Thesis (M.S.)--Baylor University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-55).

Ecosystèmes et sociétés humaines interagissent de façon bidirectionnelle, notamment via la perte de biodiversité et de services écosystémiques. Au sein de cette boucle de rétroaction, les interactions d'échelles (spatiales et temporelles) mènent à des découplages qui peuvent réduire le bien-être humain et la durabilité des systèmes socio-écologiques (SSEs). Par une approche de modélisation, cette thèse explore les conséquences de long terme de telles interactions d'échelle. Nous montrons que le découplage temporel dû aux dettes d'extinction peut mener à des effondrements. De plus, ces découplages temporels réduisent la capacité d'adaptation du système, rendant plus probables des transitions soudaines vers des trajectoires non durables. Cependant, la conservation des habitats naturels et l'internalisation économique des conséquences de la perte de biodiversité permettent d'éviter ou de réduire ces crises. Cette étude met en évidence le rôle des rétroactions et des interactions d'échelles dans les SSEs, et insiste sur l'importance d'une vision de long terme pour la durabilité des sociétés humaines. / Human-nature interactions form a feedback loop that is driven by the loss of biodiversity-dependent ecosystem services. These interactions occur over many spatial and temporal scales, and mismatches between the scales of human dynamics and ecological processes can contribute to a decrease in human well-being and sustainability. This thesis investigates theoretically the long-term consequences of biodiversity feedbacks on the sustainability of social-ecological systems (SESs). Temporal mismatches resulting from extinction debts can generate unsustainable human population cycles, especially in the most technology-intensive SESs. Moreover, temporal mismatches postpone desirable behavioral changes and reduce resilience, thus increasing the probability of abrupt regime shifts towards unsustainable trajectories. However, natural habitat conservation, e.g. through land set aside or the economic internalization of biodiversity feedbacks, can help prevent or mitigate such crises. This thesis thus emphasizes the role of feedbacks and scales in human-nature interactions, and highlights the importance of foresight for the sustainability of human societies.