Pub Date : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1525/cse.2022.1559200
R. Balikian, K. Genskow
San Diego County is categorized as urban, yet it was one of only three counties in the United States with over 5,000 farm operations in 2017. While continuing to expand its urban area, the county lost farmland at the rate of 3.8% every year between 2002 and 2017. By several measures, avocado production is the county’s most important crop, and avocado groves account for about 30% of all crops planted there. Avocado acreage is also declining rapidly in the county, at about 3% each year. To understand the dynamics influencing the decrease in avocado acreage, we explored the issue with avocado growers in San Diego County at the height of a drought in 2016. Water-resource related issues—especially the cost of water—were identified as the most important issues facing avocado growers, but other socioeconomic and environmental factors driving change were also identified. Drought conditions have continued in the years since, and this study highlights the ongoing challenges facing farmers in arid regions and potential broader cultural, economic, and aesthetic changes influenced by their decisions. It reflects upon the question of what happens if these factors continue to eat away at avocado farming in the county. After reading this case study, readers will gain insights into key drivers of land-use decisions among farmers on the urban fringe, including environmental and climactic factors, as well as implications for regional cultural values and larger economic and social trends.
{"title":"Losing Aguacate","authors":"R. Balikian, K. Genskow","doi":"10.1525/cse.2022.1559200","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1525/cse.2022.1559200","url":null,"abstract":"San Diego County is categorized as urban, yet it was one of only three counties in the United States with over 5,000 farm operations in 2017. While continuing to expand its urban area, the county lost farmland at the rate of 3.8% every year between 2002 and 2017. By several measures, avocado production is the county’s most important crop, and avocado groves account for about 30% of all crops planted there. Avocado acreage is also declining rapidly in the county, at about 3% each year. To understand the dynamics influencing the decrease in avocado acreage, we explored the issue with avocado growers in San Diego County at the height of a drought in 2016. Water-resource related issues—especially the cost of water—were identified as the most important issues facing avocado growers, but other socioeconomic and environmental factors driving change were also identified. Drought conditions have continued in the years since, and this study highlights the ongoing challenges facing farmers in arid regions and potential broader cultural, economic, and aesthetic changes influenced by their decisions. It reflects upon the question of what happens if these factors continue to eat away at avocado farming in the county. After reading this case study, readers will gain insights into key drivers of land-use decisions among farmers on the urban fringe, including environmental and climactic factors, as well as implications for regional cultural values and larger economic and social trends.","PeriodicalId":42507,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in the Environment","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66886976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The barrier island of South Padre is located off the coast of Texas’s southern tip in Cameron County and is a popular tourist destination with over 4 million annual visits. The only road access to and from the island is a four-lane causeway, 2.3 miles in length, that routinely experiences heavy traffic. Twenty years ago, a barge crashed into the Queen Isabella Causeway, destroying a portion of the bridge. It quickly became apparent how reliant South Padre Island (SPI) is on the causeway and raised questions regarding its lack of disaster resilience. Local boosters and government responded by proposing and planning for the construction of a second causeway that would provide an additional emergency response route and facilitate economic development. However, the planned location for the new bridge crosses through sensitive seagrass beds that this construction would permanently fragment. The habitats for numerous threatened and endangered species would be destroyed, thereby reducing the ecological resilience of the area. Social–ecological theory focuses on the interconnectedness between humans and ecosystems and their symbiotic nature. Yet in the case of SPI, these two dimensions of social–ecological resiliency are in competition with one another. The proposed causeway would ostensibly enhance disaster preparedness and foster economic development but at the expense of the degradation of crucial ecological habitats. This case study provides insight into the contradictions between ecological resilience and disaster resilience from the standpoint of various stakeholders.
{"title":"Disaster Resilience Versus Ecological Resilience and the Proposed Second Causeway to South Padre Island","authors":"Juliet Vallejo, Katia Sanchez, Evelyn Roozee, Owen Temby","doi":"10.1525/cse.2022.1714379","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1525/cse.2022.1714379","url":null,"abstract":"The barrier island of South Padre is located off the coast of Texas’s southern tip in Cameron County and is a popular tourist destination with over 4 million annual visits. The only road access to and from the island is a four-lane causeway, 2.3 miles in length, that routinely experiences heavy traffic. Twenty years ago, a barge crashed into the Queen Isabella Causeway, destroying a portion of the bridge. It quickly became apparent how reliant South Padre Island (SPI) is on the causeway and raised questions regarding its lack of disaster resilience. Local boosters and government responded by proposing and planning for the construction of a second causeway that would provide an additional emergency response route and facilitate economic development. However, the planned location for the new bridge crosses through sensitive seagrass beds that this construction would permanently fragment. The habitats for numerous threatened and endangered species would be destroyed, thereby reducing the ecological resilience of the area. Social–ecological theory focuses on the interconnectedness between humans and ecosystems and their symbiotic nature. Yet in the case of SPI, these two dimensions of social–ecological resiliency are in competition with one another. The proposed causeway would ostensibly enhance disaster preparedness and foster economic development but at the expense of the degradation of crucial ecological habitats. This case study provides insight into the contradictions between ecological resilience and disaster resilience from the standpoint of various stakeholders.","PeriodicalId":42507,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in the Environment","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66887315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1525/cse.2022.1688823
M. Houser
Improving the use efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer is one of the most effective ways to mitigate agriculture’s contributions to climate change and water-quality degradation. However, studies suggest that many farmers worldwide are exceeding annual-profitable nitrogen rates and thus “overapplying” nitrogen. This paper utilizes a case study to understand overapplication at the individual level, focusing on (1) prevalence and severity of overapplication as defined by maximum profitable thresholds and (2) gaining an understanding of what factors limit overapplying farmers’ desire and capacity to lower their rates. Using a sample of 132 interviews with row-crop farmers in three states in the Midwestern United States, I find that 37% of interviewed farmers overapplied nitrogen by 5 lbs./acre or more, with few farmers adjusting rates annually and the largest farmers being most likely to overapply. When asked what prevented them from reducing their rates, overapplying farmers felt their current rates were appropriate or profitable, and thus, they did not desire to reduce them. Of these farmers, some assumed they could not be overapplying, some used more N to achieve maximized production, while others intentionally overapplied as a risk-mitigation strategy. I conclude by offering recommendations for policy and future research to build on this case study.
{"title":"Farmer Motivations for Excess Nitrogen Use in the U.S. Corn Belt","authors":"M. Houser","doi":"10.1525/cse.2022.1688823","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1525/cse.2022.1688823","url":null,"abstract":"Improving the use efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer is one of the most effective ways to mitigate agriculture’s contributions to climate change and water-quality degradation. However, studies suggest that many farmers worldwide are exceeding annual-profitable nitrogen rates and thus “overapplying” nitrogen. This paper utilizes a case study to understand overapplication at the individual level, focusing on (1) prevalence and severity of overapplication as defined by maximum profitable thresholds and (2) gaining an understanding of what factors limit overapplying farmers’ desire and capacity to lower their rates. Using a sample of 132 interviews with row-crop farmers in three states in the Midwestern United States, I find that 37% of interviewed farmers overapplied nitrogen by 5 lbs./acre or more, with few farmers adjusting rates annually and the largest farmers being most likely to overapply. When asked what prevented them from reducing their rates, overapplying farmers felt their current rates were appropriate or profitable, and thus, they did not desire to reduce them. Of these farmers, some assumed they could not be overapplying, some used more N to achieve maximized production, while others intentionally overapplied as a risk-mitigation strategy. I conclude by offering recommendations for policy and future research to build on this case study.","PeriodicalId":42507,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in the Environment","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66886537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1525/cse.2022.1474225
Jason Paliau, Alfred Mani, Lui Napa, Cassey Uvau, Steven Sau, R. Kiapranis, P. Dargusch, F. Attorre, V. Novotný
As the major group of herbivorous insects, moths are highly significant in natural ecosystems. In collaboration with the Papua New Guinea (PNG) multipurpose National Forest Inventory (NFI) survey, this study investigates the species richness, distribution and community composition of Geometrid moths (Lepidoptera) in PNG’s tropical forests and analyses environmental drivers of the geometrid community structure. By providing a baseline assessment of an important order of insects that can serve as an indicator for broader biodiversity, this study informs how biodiversity assessments can be better integrated into the planning of forest conservation initiatives, particularly those related to REDD+ and forest carbon offset developments. The research was conducted over 3 years at 38 NFI clusters throughout six provinces: Eastern Highlands, Western Highlands, Morobe, Madang and West New Britain and Central Province. Moths were collected from dusk to before midnight (18:00 h to 22:00 h) using a manual light trapping method for four nights per site, with a total of 152 light trap samples. Results included a total of 11,830 specimens from 1,108 morphological species from lowland and montane forests in disturbed (degraded and/or logged) and primary forests. Elevation and forest disturbance are the main variables that influence the distribution of species. Species richness was low in montane undisturbed forests compared with lowland (disturbed and primary) forests and montane disturbed forests. Species similarity between light trap samples tends to decrease as elevation increases. Geometrid moth species were arranged into two main orders of community composition according to the forest types: montane (disturbed and/or primary) forests species and lowland (disturbed and/or primary forest) species as per the samples.
{"title":"Geometrid Moth Species Richness, Distribution and Community Composition in Different Forest Types of Papua New Guinea","authors":"Jason Paliau, Alfred Mani, Lui Napa, Cassey Uvau, Steven Sau, R. Kiapranis, P. Dargusch, F. Attorre, V. Novotný","doi":"10.1525/cse.2022.1474225","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1525/cse.2022.1474225","url":null,"abstract":"As the major group of herbivorous insects, moths are highly significant in natural ecosystems. In collaboration with the Papua New Guinea (PNG) multipurpose National Forest Inventory (NFI) survey, this study investigates the species richness, distribution and community composition of Geometrid moths (Lepidoptera) in PNG’s tropical forests and analyses environmental drivers of the geometrid community structure. By providing a baseline assessment of an important order of insects that can serve as an indicator for broader biodiversity, this study informs how biodiversity assessments can be better integrated into the planning of forest conservation initiatives, particularly those related to REDD+ and forest carbon offset developments. The research was conducted over 3 years at 38 NFI clusters throughout six provinces: Eastern Highlands, Western Highlands, Morobe, Madang and West New Britain and Central Province. Moths were collected from dusk to before midnight (18:00 h to 22:00 h) using a manual light trapping method for four nights per site, with a total of 152 light trap samples. Results included a total of 11,830 specimens from 1,108 morphological species from lowland and montane forests in disturbed (degraded and/or logged) and primary forests. Elevation and forest disturbance are the main variables that influence the distribution of species. Species richness was low in montane undisturbed forests compared with lowland (disturbed and primary) forests and montane disturbed forests. Species similarity between light trap samples tends to decrease as elevation increases. Geometrid moth species were arranged into two main orders of community composition according to the forest types: montane (disturbed and/or primary) forests species and lowland (disturbed and/or primary forest) species as per the samples.","PeriodicalId":42507,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in the Environment","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66886947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1525/cse.2022.1552208
Katrina Reinhart, E. Grubert
Climate change is largely caused by continued use of fossil fuels to provide energy services. Increasingly, given the goal of mitigating climate change, organizations like power utilities are announcing “net-zero” greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions goals that do not necessarily require fossil fuel–fired facilities to mitigate their emissions or close. If paired with carbon dioxide removal (CDR), ongoing emissions could theoretically coexist with net-zero goals. CDR, however, is resource intensive, regardless of removal pathway. One common question is whether tree planting could be a low-impact pathway to compensate for ongoing or legacy GHG emissions, since trees take up atmospheric CO2 and store the carbon as wood. Although planting trees might sound like a benign climate strategy, the need for additionality and permanence means that forestry-based CDR has immense land requirements at climate-relevant scales. To contextualize this land intensity, this case study evaluates how much land would be required to counterbalance a utility’s emissions from a large coal-fired power plant in Georgia with forest-based CDR. Compensating for 1 year of plant emissions would require permanent industrial forestation of all land in the plant’s host county that is not already forested or developed (with buildings, roads, etc.), with a 30-year lead time—highlighting a key challenge of relying on tree planting to meet climate goals. Readers engaging this case will be able to discuss land use requirements of relying on compensatory forestry-based CDR for net-zero emissions goals, in addition to being prepared to replicate this analysis for other power plants or emitters.
{"title":"How Much New Forest Land Would it Take to Offset a Coal Plant’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions? An Engineering Case Study of Georgia’s Plant Scherer","authors":"Katrina Reinhart, E. Grubert","doi":"10.1525/cse.2022.1552208","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1525/cse.2022.1552208","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change is largely caused by continued use of fossil fuels to provide energy services. Increasingly, given the goal of mitigating climate change, organizations like power utilities are announcing “net-zero” greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions goals that do not necessarily require fossil fuel–fired facilities to mitigate their emissions or close. If paired with carbon dioxide removal (CDR), ongoing emissions could theoretically coexist with net-zero goals. CDR, however, is resource intensive, regardless of removal pathway. One common question is whether tree planting could be a low-impact pathway to compensate for ongoing or legacy GHG emissions, since trees take up atmospheric CO2 and store the carbon as wood. Although planting trees might sound like a benign climate strategy, the need for additionality and permanence means that forestry-based CDR has immense land requirements at climate-relevant scales. To contextualize this land intensity, this case study evaluates how much land would be required to counterbalance a utility’s emissions from a large coal-fired power plant in Georgia with forest-based CDR. Compensating for 1 year of plant emissions would require permanent industrial forestation of all land in the plant’s host county that is not already forested or developed (with buildings, roads, etc.), with a 30-year lead time—highlighting a key challenge of relying on tree planting to meet climate goals. Readers engaging this case will be able to discuss land use requirements of relying on compensatory forestry-based CDR for net-zero emissions goals, in addition to being prepared to replicate this analysis for other power plants or emitters.","PeriodicalId":42507,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in the Environment","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66886973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1525/cse.2022.1696511
Gibson Sosanika, Bernard Sule, Kaigube Fazang, Peter Homot, Graham S. Kaina, R. Kiapranis, K. Damas, Abe Hitofumi, R. Turia, R. Testolin, F. Attore, V. Novotný, P. Dargusch, D. Cicuzza
This study aims to analyze the occurrence and composition of ferns along an elevational gradient and among different forest types and disturbance regimes in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The assessment was conducted using the monitoring protocol of the National Forest Inventory. The investigation revealed a high richness of ferns, with 122 species or morphospecies from 51 genera and 21 families. Among them, 81 species were terrestrial and 16 were epiphytes. The project also highlighted increasing richness with elevation, both for terrestrial and epiphytic ferns. Reflecting other environmental variables, elevation was a significant proxy factor in determining the taxonomic composition. Lowland forest was clearly differentiated from the montane one, which was characterized by epiphytic species from the Drynaria and Ctenopteris genera. Lowland disturbed and primary forests were slightly differentiated in terms of fern composition, the latter characterized by sciophilous species belonging to the Polypodium, Microlepia, and Pronephrium genera and the former mainly by species of the Gleichenia genus adapted to forest margins and gaps. The research points to the richness of ferns in PNG and their effectiveness as a potential indicator to characterize and monitor forest types and their conservation status with respect to a disturbance regime. In the future, studies should aim to increase species sampling in abundance and seek precision in understanding species response variables in diverse forest regimes.
{"title":"Fern Species Richness and Diversity in the Forest Ecosystems of Papua New Guinea","authors":"Gibson Sosanika, Bernard Sule, Kaigube Fazang, Peter Homot, Graham S. Kaina, R. Kiapranis, K. Damas, Abe Hitofumi, R. Turia, R. Testolin, F. Attore, V. Novotný, P. Dargusch, D. Cicuzza","doi":"10.1525/cse.2022.1696511","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1525/cse.2022.1696511","url":null,"abstract":"This study aims to analyze the occurrence and composition of ferns along an elevational gradient and among different forest types and disturbance regimes in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The assessment was conducted using the monitoring protocol of the National Forest Inventory. The investigation revealed a high richness of ferns, with 122 species or morphospecies from 51 genera and 21 families. Among them, 81 species were terrestrial and 16 were epiphytes. The project also highlighted increasing richness with elevation, both for terrestrial and epiphytic ferns. Reflecting other environmental variables, elevation was a significant proxy factor in determining the taxonomic composition. Lowland forest was clearly differentiated from the montane one, which was characterized by epiphytic species from the Drynaria and Ctenopteris genera. Lowland disturbed and primary forests were slightly differentiated in terms of fern composition, the latter characterized by sciophilous species belonging to the Polypodium, Microlepia, and Pronephrium genera and the former mainly by species of the Gleichenia genus adapted to forest margins and gaps. The research points to the richness of ferns in PNG and their effectiveness as a potential indicator to characterize and monitor forest types and their conservation status with respect to a disturbance regime. In the future, studies should aim to increase species sampling in abundance and seek precision in understanding species response variables in diverse forest regimes.","PeriodicalId":42507,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in the Environment","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66886545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1525/cse.2022.1706476
Lucero Radonic, Cara Jacob, Rowenn Kalman, E. Lewis
Household water insecurity is a global problem; one not escaped by residents of high-income nations. In this article, we review a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project conducted in Flint, MI, to document grassroots narratives about the impacts of water insecurity on the lives of women. In 2014, Flint residents found themselves connected to modern water infrastructure that delivered potable water contaminated by lead and pathogens. Through a photovoice method, participating women documented how experiences of water insecurity continues to impact their lives many years after state authorities declared the water crisis to be over. This study adds to a growing literature that highlights how the “adequateness” of water quality is not a stable or self-evident condition for there are different frameworks for water cleanliness, safety, and risk. With attention to methodology, this case study emphasizes the importance of legitimizing the embodied experience of participants through research design and implementation. This CBPR project contributes to the existing toolbox of methods for studying household water insecurity by complementing the growing literature on security metrics with a narrative-focused approach to documenting women’s lived experiences of water insecurity. Finally, the article invites readers to consider how and to what degree to mobilize participatory approaches to understand conditions and lived experiences of resource insecurity without further stigmatizing or exploiting impacted communities.
{"title":"Questionable Quality","authors":"Lucero Radonic, Cara Jacob, Rowenn Kalman, E. Lewis","doi":"10.1525/cse.2022.1706476","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1525/cse.2022.1706476","url":null,"abstract":"Household water insecurity is a global problem; one not escaped by residents of high-income nations. In this article, we review a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project conducted in Flint, MI, to document grassroots narratives about the impacts of water insecurity on the lives of women. In 2014, Flint residents found themselves connected to modern water infrastructure that delivered potable water contaminated by lead and pathogens. Through a photovoice method, participating women documented how experiences of water insecurity continues to impact their lives many years after state authorities declared the water crisis to be over. This study adds to a growing literature that highlights how the “adequateness” of water quality is not a stable or self-evident condition for there are different frameworks for water cleanliness, safety, and risk. With attention to methodology, this case study emphasizes the importance of legitimizing the embodied experience of participants through research design and implementation. This CBPR project contributes to the existing toolbox of methods for studying household water insecurity by complementing the growing literature on security metrics with a narrative-focused approach to documenting women’s lived experiences of water insecurity. Finally, the article invites readers to consider how and to what degree to mobilize participatory approaches to understand conditions and lived experiences of resource insecurity without further stigmatizing or exploiting impacted communities.","PeriodicalId":42507,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in the Environment","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66886693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1525/cse.2021.1546552
K. Damas, Silvio Cianciullo, M. De Sanctis, R. Testolin, A. Farcomeni, Abe Hitofumi, V. Novotný, P. Dargusch, F. Attorre
Syzygium is the largest woody genus of flowering plants in the world and one of the most important components of the forest vegetation in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Although the systematics of the genus is improving, a comprehensive appraisal of the environmental features and gradients of its species is still lacking. Our work aims to fill this gap by analyzing the georeferenced specimens collected at the Lae National Herbarium of PNG. A data set of 1,563 records of 131 species was used to assess their altitudinal gradients and the correspondence with the main vegetation types and to model their spatial ecological niche with respect to climatic, topographical, and pedological variables. Several species were found to be widely distributed throughout the region, while other species were restricted to narrow altitudinal belts or only occurred in specific vegetation types. Overall, the genus is also characterized by an increasing altitudinal turnover likely due to topography-driven isolation. The improved knowledge of the ecological requirements of Syzygium assists in the elaboration of effective conservation strategies and improves in situ species identification of this taxonomically difficult group.
{"title":"Ecological Characterization of Syzygium (Myrtaceae) in Papua New Guinea","authors":"K. Damas, Silvio Cianciullo, M. De Sanctis, R. Testolin, A. Farcomeni, Abe Hitofumi, V. Novotný, P. Dargusch, F. Attorre","doi":"10.1525/cse.2021.1546552","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1525/cse.2021.1546552","url":null,"abstract":"Syzygium is the largest woody genus of flowering plants in the world and one of the most important components of the forest vegetation in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Although the systematics of the genus is improving, a comprehensive appraisal of the environmental features and gradients of its species is still lacking. Our work aims to fill this gap by analyzing the georeferenced specimens collected at the Lae National Herbarium of PNG. A data set of 1,563 records of 131 species was used to assess their altitudinal gradients and the correspondence with the main vegetation types and to model their spatial ecological niche with respect to climatic, topographical, and pedological variables. Several species were found to be widely distributed throughout the region, while other species were restricted to narrow altitudinal belts or only occurred in specific vegetation types. Overall, the genus is also characterized by an increasing altitudinal turnover likely due to topography-driven isolation. The improved knowledge of the ecological requirements of Syzygium assists in the elaboration of effective conservation strategies and improves in situ species identification of this taxonomically difficult group.","PeriodicalId":42507,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in the Environment","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66886521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1525/cse.2022.1701829
A. Scott, P. Dargusch, G. Hill
Effective carbon management in private industries is essential due to the significant emissions from corporations across the globe. Investigation and monitoring of carbon management strategies in large corporations, such as Sky Group, is needed to meet the Paris targets. Sky Group has provided Scope 1, 2 and 3 estimates since 2018. The firm has implemented various carbon management strategies to reduce these emissions, including sourcing 100% renewable energy, submitting pledges to the Science-Based Reduction Targets Initiative and improving the accuracy of carbon emissions estimation methods. We conclude that Sky Group’s carbon management is a respectable example for other firms to follow. Suggested improvements include further investigation into reducing emissions produced by employee commuting, as well as continual increasing of on-site renewable energy.
{"title":"Are Firms Following Through on Their Carbon Pledges With Effective Carbon Management? A Case Study of Sky Group","authors":"A. Scott, P. Dargusch, G. Hill","doi":"10.1525/cse.2022.1701829","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1525/cse.2022.1701829","url":null,"abstract":"Effective carbon management in private industries is essential due to the significant emissions from corporations across the globe. Investigation and monitoring of carbon management strategies in large corporations, such as Sky Group, is needed to meet the Paris targets. Sky Group has provided Scope 1, 2 and 3 estimates since 2018. The firm has implemented various carbon management strategies to reduce these emissions, including sourcing 100% renewable energy, submitting pledges to the Science-Based Reduction Targets Initiative and improving the accuracy of carbon emissions estimation methods. We conclude that Sky Group’s carbon management is a respectable example for other firms to follow. Suggested improvements include further investigation into reducing emissions produced by employee commuting, as well as continual increasing of on-site renewable energy.","PeriodicalId":42507,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in the Environment","volume":"62 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66886555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1525/cse.2022.1703985
Peter Homot, Gibson Sosanika, K. Damas, R. Kiapranis, D. Cicuzza, R. Testolin, F. Attore, Abe Hitufumi
This study surveys liana communities at 26 sites across undisturbed and disturbed forests from 70 to 2,700 m above sea level in northern parts of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The assessment was conducted following the Papua New Guinea National Forest Inventory (NFI) manual. The results show a total diversity of 68 genera of lianas, belonging to 33 families. No significant difference was observed in abundance of liana species between lowland unlogged (i.e., primary and pristine) and logged (disturbed) forests and lower montane unlogged forests. Richness is not significantly different between lowland and montane sites, as opposed to outcomes in other studies which have often reported a decrease in species richness with elevation. Both types of lowland forests do not show indicator genera, while the unlogged montane forests are characterized by Rubus and Sabia genera. The study shows a high taxonomic richness of lianas in PNG, supporting previous research and underlining that they make a significant contribution to the overall woody species richness and to the ecology and complexity of PNG forest.
{"title":"Distribution of Liana Richness and Abundance in the Forest of Papua New Guinea","authors":"Peter Homot, Gibson Sosanika, K. Damas, R. Kiapranis, D. Cicuzza, R. Testolin, F. Attore, Abe Hitufumi","doi":"10.1525/cse.2022.1703985","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1525/cse.2022.1703985","url":null,"abstract":"This study surveys liana communities at 26 sites across undisturbed and disturbed forests from 70 to 2,700 m above sea level in northern parts of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The assessment was conducted following the Papua New Guinea National Forest Inventory (NFI) manual. The results show a total diversity of 68 genera of lianas, belonging to 33 families. No significant difference was observed in abundance of liana species between lowland unlogged (i.e., primary and pristine) and logged (disturbed) forests and lower montane unlogged forests. Richness is not significantly different between lowland and montane sites, as opposed to outcomes in other studies which have often reported a decrease in species richness with elevation. Both types of lowland forests do not show indicator genera, while the unlogged montane forests are characterized by Rubus and Sabia genera. The study shows a high taxonomic richness of lianas in PNG, supporting previous research and underlining that they make a significant contribution to the overall woody species richness and to the ecology and complexity of PNG forest.","PeriodicalId":42507,"journal":{"name":"Case Studies in the Environment","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66886627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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