Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jiayi Shi, Tao Zhang, Hiroatsu Fukuda, Qun Zhang, Lujian Bai
Summary: The study investigates the potential of traditional Tianshui dwellings in adapting to natural and social conditions. Through field investigation, in-depth conversations, and on-site monitoring, the study finds that traditional Tianshui dwellings are well adapted to local conditions and meet the needs of residents. The findings provide valuable references and guidelines for the sustainable development of modern architecture.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Valentin H. Klaus, Andrew Jehle, Franziska Richter, Nina Buchmann, Eva Knop, Gisela Luscher
Summary: The study analyzes the effects of ecological focus areas (EFAs) and organic farming on plant diversity and agricultural productivity. It finds that both AES have positive additive effects on plant diversity, with EFAs having a greater impact. Additionally, EFAs reduce agricultural weeds but negatively affect agricultural productivity.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Raquel Jimenez-Fernandez, Rocio Rodriguez Vazquez, Dolores Marin-Morales, Elena Herraiz-Soria, Marta Elena Losa-Iglesias, Ricardo Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo, Inmaculada Corral-Liria
Summary: This study examines the use of Fang Traditional Medicine (FTM) and the associated health-seeking behaviors in Equatorial Guinea. Qualitative research was conducted through ethnography and interviews with 45 individuals, including community leaders, tribal elders, healthcare professionals, FTHs, and relatives of traditional healers. FTM provides remedies for malaria, reproductive health issues, fractures, and cultural illnesses. The learning process of FTM is based on empirical observation and does not require formal education. Materials from forests and rituals are used to maintain the health of Fang populations, and elders and women are the main consumers of FTM. The study highlights the relevance of FTM in treating medical and cultural afflictions in Fang communities, with health-seeking behaviors shaped by the explanation model of illness.
Article
Ecology
Jennah Green, Pippa Hankinson, Louise de Waal, Emma Coulthard, John Norrey, David Megson, Neil D'Cruze
Summary: This study aims to characterize the social and economic value of wild animal species used in traditional medicine in South Africa, as well as explore plant-based alternatives. The study found a wide range of animal species were used for medicinal and magico-religious purposes, including threatened species. Lions were particularly valued in the traditional medicine market, but their availability has decreased in recent years. The study provides valuable insights into the socio-economic drivers of traditional healing practices and suggests further research is needed to inform approaches to managing pressures on South Africa's wildlife populations.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Kumaraguru Vasanthakumari, Chelladurai Sharmila, Shree Jaya Priya, Vellingiri Vadivel
Summary: In this project, the wound healing mechanisms of Couroupita guianensis fruit pulp, an Indian ethnomedicine, were analyzed in search of safe and alternative plant-based drugs. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer (GC-MS) analysis revealed the presence of phytochemicals in the methanol extract. The methanol extract of C. guianensis exhibited remarkable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial activities, as well as angiogenic potential and non-toxicity.
NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zafran Ahmad, Liu Chao, Wang Chao, Wasim Iqbal, Sulaman Muhammad, Shujaat Ahmed
Summary: The article aims to connect sustainable development with environmentally sensitive entrepreneurship and confirm the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in achieving Pakistan's sustainable development goals. Results show a strong link between CSR and organizational success, with socio-cultural and ecological CSR making positive contributions to Pakistani companies' success. The ecological aspects of CSR are crucial for the credibility and employee engagement of Pakistani companies.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Tomas Gabriel Bas, Jacques Gagnon, Philippe Gagnon, Angela Contreras
Summary: Located in Central Africa, Cameroon faces social inequalities and fragile governance, which directly affect its sustainable development. The research emphasizes the need for mixed governance and highlights the positive impact of using cassava as an alternative on socio-ecological resilience and the conservation of native forests.
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Himangana Gupta, Maiko Nishi, Alexandros Gasparatos
Summary: This paper synthesizes 71 case studies of mountain-specific social-ecological systems, highlighting the major drivers of change, associated impacts, and various response strategies. It emphasizes the significance of community participation in sustainable management of mountain landscapes.
Article
Ecology
Ryan Nel, Kevin F. Mearns, Maarten Jordaan, Peter Goethals
Summary: This paper uses a socio-ecological systems perspective and Bayesian Belief Networks to study the interdependencies within the livelihood-conservation nexus, using informal Sand Forest harvesting in South Africa as a case study. The results demonstrate the potential of Bayesian Belief Networks in studying the livelihood-conservation nexus.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Geography
Concha Cano-Diaz, Romy Zeiss, Claudia Carvalho-Santos, Rui P. Carvalho, Sofia R. Costa, A. Carolina Duarte, Paulo Fernandes, Carlos A. Guerra
Summary: Soil degradation has detrimental effects on ecosystem functions and biodiversity, impacting essential processes like food production and water quality. This study assessed eight soil threats and measured the importance of anthropogenic and environmental variables. The vulnerability maps provide valuable information for informed decision making in soil management and strategic policy formulation.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mengmeng Zhou, Jinsong Deng, Yi Lin, Linjing Zhang, Shan He, Wu Yang
Summary: This study evaluated the dynamics of sediment retention service in a large basin in China, finding that ecological conservation policies played a critical role in improving sediment retention, particularly the Green Project. The results suggest that the emerging Ecological Conservation Red Line policy could significantly reduce sediment export in the future, providing practical guidance for enhancing ecological benefits. Promoting targeted ecological protection policies and sustainable socio-economic plans are crucial for strengthening ecological security in the large basin.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Takuya Iwanaga, Hsiao-Hsuan Wang, Serena H. Hamilton, Volker Grimm, Tomasz E. Koralewski, Alejandro Salado, Sondoss Elsawah, Saman Razavi, Jing Yang, Pierre Glynn, Jennifer Badham, Alexey Voinov, Min Chen, William E. Grant, Tarla Rai Peterson, Karin Frank, Gary Shenk, C. Michael Barton, Anthony J. Jakeman, John C. Little
Summary: System-of-systems approaches have become popular for integrated assessments, involving the integration of models from various disciplines to inform policy and decision-making processes. However, current modeling paradigms have disciplinary-specific origins, leading to inconsistencies in the conceptualization and integration of socio-environmental systems. A multidisciplinary team of researchers calls for a grand vision for holistic system-of-systems research to address major socio-environmental problems through multi-tiered collaboration.
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING & SOFTWARE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Luciana Staiano, Federico Gallego, Alice Altesor, Jose M. Paruelo
Summary: This study presents a methodological approach to define the conservation value of grasslands using multi-criteria analysis and incorporating the opinions and valuations of stakeholders. The approach allows for the inclusion of different perceptions in defining and prioritizing conservation criteria, contributing to transparent and auditable processes for future regulations and increasing the legitimacy of territorial planning.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jitse Bijlmakers, Jasper Griffioen, Derek Karssenberg
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the impacts of environmental drivers, including river discharge, river channel dynamics, precipitation, and forest fires, on the spatio-temporal dynamics of grasslands in the Nepalese and Indian Terai Arc Landscape. The findings showed that grassland patches have decreased in abundance and size due to encroachment of forest. Conversion of grassland to bare substrate outside the floodplain is associated with extreme precipitation events, while within the floodplain, it correlates with the magnitude of the annual peak discharge of the Karnali River. However, since 2009, the main discharge channel shift has led to the expansion of alluvial tall grasslands.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Miguel Castillo-Garcia, Concepcion L. Alados, Javier Ramos, David Moret, Olivia Barrantes, Yolanda Pueyo
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effect of different grazing intensities on herbivore-plant-soil feedbacks in Mediterranean mountain grasslands. The results showed that increasing grazing pressure led to a decrease in the relative cover and species richness of non-leguminous forbs, while the opposite trend was observed for graminoids. Increasing grazing intensity was also associated with higher values of soil nitrogen, carbon-nitrogen ratio, organic carbon, microbial biomass, and beta-glucosidase activity. The study highlighted the importance of grazing management with a target pasture utilisation rate of around 45% in sustaining positive herbivore-plant-soil feedbacks and preserving or enhancing the whole ecosystem functioning.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Melissa A. Whitecross, Ed T. F. Witkowski, Sally Archibald
Article
Geography, Physical
Carola Cullum, Gary Brierley, George L. W. Perry, Ed T. F. Witkowski
PROGRESS IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY-EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT
(2017)
Article
Entomology
Lisa Buccellato, Marcus J. Byrne, Jolene T. Fisher, Ed T. F. Witkowski
Article
Entomology
A. Sasa, R. Gosik, E. T. F. Witkowski, M. J. Byrne, M. A. Mazur
NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Ecology
T. A. Shezi, T. G. O'Connor, E. T. F. Witkowski
Summary: The study shows that communal livestock grazing can impact botanical composition and plant diversity, with higher grazing intensities leading to a decrease in plant species richness and diversity, but an increase in the abundance of dwarf shrubs and alien invasive species. Despite this, communal rangelands still support over 320 indigenous species, indicating some contribution to biodiversity conservation.
AFRICAN JOURNAL OF RANGE & FORAGE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Marc E. Stalmans, Ed T. F. Witkowski, Kevin Balkwill
Summary: The study on fire patterns in the Songimvelo Game Reserve in South Africa shows that most fires are caused by pastoralists and are uncontrolled, with a small percentage caused by lightning strikes and prescribed burns. There are significant differences in fire sizes and return periods between different areas, and the overall fire pattern has a positive impact on maintaining biodiversity.
AFRICAN JOURNAL OF RANGE & FORAGE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Naweji Katembo, David Simelane, Marcus Byrne, Ed T. F. Witkowski
Summary: The study measured the combined impact of biocontrol agents on the seed regenerative capacity of Lantana camara in South Africa, finding that the current suite of biocontrol agents had minimal impact on the recruitment potential of the plant, indicating a need for better adapted agents for the environmental conditions in the area.
BIOCONTROL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Mary Brydon-Miller, Bronwyn Williams, Socorro Aguja, Michaela Blumrich, Luiza De Sousa, Cathy Dzerefos, Bennet Kolb, Leonard Marimbe, Irene Muller, Genevieve Pillar, Maricar Prudente, Shira Rabin, Christa Rauch, Franz Rauch, Alex Way
Summary: This article describes the use of an online Future Creating Workshop (FCW) as a planning strategy to support a Global Climate Change Education Initiative (GCCEI). The project aims to engage students aged eleven to fourteen in meaningful dialogue about climate change and its impact on various aspects of life. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, an online FCW was initiated to move the project forward. The article provides a detailed description of the research process and its implications for problem-based and multimodal forms of learning.
EDUCATIONAL ACTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
J. M. Goodall, E. T. F. Witkowski
Summary: Herbicide trials were conducted on Campuloclinium macrocephalum in South Africa, and the study found that the rust fungus Puccinia eupatorii Dietel caused significant damage to the plant. Herbicide efficacy was better in early summer compared to autumn. However, none of the herbicide treatments completely eradicated the plant, and multiple treatments were required. Therefore, there is a trade-off between effectiveness and cost when choosing herbicides.
AFRICAN JOURNAL OF RANGE & FORAGE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Stephanie L. Payne, Craig T. Symes, Ed T. F. Witkowski
Summary: Floral nectar is an important attractant and reward for visitors, with Aloe peglerae having 24-hour availability of nectar, attracting both diurnal birds and nocturnal small mammals. The nectar production during the day primarily attracts birds, while the availability of nectar at night also benefits small mammals during the dry and cold South African winters.
Article
Education & Educational Research
Cathy Dzerefos
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Penelope J. Mograbi, Gregory P. Asner, Ed T. F. Witkowski, Barend F. N. Erasmus, Konrad J. Wessels, Renaud Mathieu, Nicholas R. Vaughn
Article
Plant Sciences
S. R. Cousins, E. T. F. Witkowski