Resilience, Adaptability, and Regime Shifts Thinking: A Perspective of Dryland Socio-ecology System

Arid areas are widespread globally and support a third of the world’s population’s livelihoods. The increasing population, urbanization, land-use changes, and the climate significantly affect coupled natural and human systems and threaten environments and socio-ecological land systems. The degradation of drylands poses a severe and widespread threat to the lives of millions of people, especially in developing countries and in the global environment. This review assesses published literature on dryland socio-ecological systems to reveal current research trends and changes in research themes over time and introduces basic theories and advances in dryland socio-ecological system frameworks, resilience measurement, and regime shifts. Developing a more general but adaptable framework and a more practical strategy for long-term coordination and partnership and attaining specific insights into ecological services should receive more attention and be strengthened in future studies on drylands sustainability.

Applying the Socio-Ecological Model to barriers to implementation of ACL injury prevention programs: A systematic review

Background: Preventing anterior cruciate ligament(ACL) injuries is important to avoid long-term adverse health consequences. Identifying barriers to implementation of these prevention programs is crucial to reducing the incidence of these injuries. Our purpose was to identify barriers of implementation for ACL injury prevention programs and suggest mechanisms for reducing the barriers through application of a SocioEcological Model(SEM).Methods: Studies investigating ACL prevention program effectiveness were searched in Medline via PubMed and the Cochrane Library, and a subsequent review of the references of the identified articles, yielded 15 articles total. Inclusion criteria encompassed prospective controlled trials, published in English, with ACL injuries as the primary outcome. Studies were independently appraised by 2 reviewers for methodological quality using the PEDro scale. Barriers to implementation were identified when reported in at least 2 separate studies. A SEM was used to suggest ways to reduce the identified barriers.Results: Five barriers were identified: motivation, time requirements, skill requirements for program facilitators, compliance, and cost. The SEM suggested ways to minimize the barriers at all levels of the model from the individual through policy levels.Conclusion: Identification of barriers to program implementation and suggesting how to reduce them through the SEM is a critical first step toward enabling ACL prevention programs to be more effective and ultimately reducing the incidence of these injuries.

Socio-ecological insights into the development of agrarian professionals

There is a lack of information about the factors responsible for the effectiveness of environmental policies in Brazilian agriculture.This study aimed at identifying the perception and practices of agrarian professionals.The data analysis was carried out using a survey and methodological approaches focusing on environmental complexity and categorization of environmental actions.Quantitative analysis was based on descriptive statistics.Atmospheric problems were perceived as the main problems for the current and next two generations,while hydrological problems were indicated as those deserving most urgent solutions.On the other hand,the main developed actions and those planned to be carried out were classified within the responsibility category.Because of the reductionist perceptions,introduction of the concept of a socio-ecological system is indicated by means of methodological interventions during the development of agrarian professionals;also,in order to stimulate actions related to the competence and citizenship category,a methodological intervention focusing on resilience thinking is proposed.Typical actions of individuals with either reductionist or complex conceptions of the environment can be captured and,therefore,educational strategies can be traced based on the profiles obtained.

Socio-ecological determinants of dengue prevention practices:A cross-sectional study among wet market traders in a selected district in Perak, Malaysia

Objective: To determine the level of dengue prevention practices among wet market traders in a Malaysian district and their associated socio-ecological factors including individual, relationships, community and societal factors.Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 246 wet market traders was conducted in a district in Perak state in northwest Malaysia between September 2018 to June 2019. Participants were selected through stratified sampling from four wet markets in Hilir Perak district. Data on dengue prevention practices and associated socioecological characteristics were collected using a validated interviewbased questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Multiple logistic regression was performed to identify socioecological determinants of dengue prevention practices among wet market traders in Hilir Perak District.Results: From the total number of respondents, 78% had high dengue prevention practices. Higher dengue prevention practices were associated with owners of wet market shoplots compared to employed workers(adjusted OR 4.18, 95% CI 1.78, 9.85), high perceived susceptibility(adjusted OR 6.93, 95% CI 3.02, 15.92), high familial support(adjusted OR 3.65, 95% CI 1.25, 10.64), and high perceived dengue prevention and control laws and regulations(adjusted OR 3.24, 95% CI 1.44, 7.32).Conclusions: Dengue prevention practices were associated not only with individual determinants but also with other determinants from relationships to societal level which must be considered in planning or evaluating current dengue control programs.

Computational Stochastic Investigations for the Socio-Ecological Dynamics with Reef Ecosystems

The motive of this work is to present a computational design using the stochastic scaled conjugate gradient(SCG)neural networks(NNs)called as SCGNNs for the socio-ecological dynamics(SED)with reef ecosystems and conservation estimation.The mathematical descriptions of the SED model are provided that is dependent upon five categories,macroalgae M(v),breathing coral C(v),algal turf T(v),the density of parrotfish P(v)and the opinion of human opinion X(v).The stochastic SCGNNs process is applied to formulate the SEDmodel based on the sample statistics,testing,accreditation and training.Three different variations of the SED have been provided to authenticate the stochastic SCGNNs performance through the statics for training,accreditation,and testing are 77%,12%and 11%,respectively.The obtained numerical performances have been compared with the Runge-Kutta approach to solve the SEDmodel.The reduction of mean square error(MSE)is used to investigate the numericalmeasures through the SCGNNs for solving the SED model.The precision of the SCGNNs is validated through the comparison of the results and the absolute error performances.The reliability of the SCGNNs is performed by using the correlation values,state transitions(STs),error histograms(EHs),MSE measures and regression analysis.

A Socio-Ecological Model to Assess Tuberculosis in Migrant Farmworkers in the US-Mexico Border Region

The migrant and seasonal farmworker toiling in the fields and orchards of the United States of America surmounts innumerable problems daily. Some of these problems pertain to the overall health of the farmworker in addition to the various occupational hazards that he or she faces. This research paper focuses on Tuberculosis infection—both latent and active—in the migrant farmworkers in the United States with a special focus on the US-Mexico border. Using the Socio-Ecological Model as a theoretical framework, the TB health issues faced by this group are studied. The various determinants of health at every level of the Socio-Ecological Model are cogitated upon and culturally appropriate interventions are suggested. This research paper corroborates the fact that health issues facing mobile communities like migrant farmworkers require a synergistic approach by various stakeholders spanning the length and breadth of the Americas.

Alternative Sanitation and Strategic Directives for the Well Water Security in Cotonou (Benin) and Lomé(Togo)

In the coastal cities of West Africa, land use change, rapid population growth, bad sanitation systems and poor environmental governance degrade the quality of groundwater. This study aimed to assess alternative, acceptable, affordable sanitation disposal and practices for groundwater quality rehabilitation in the cities of Cotonou and Lomé. The study was based on the participatory transdisciplinary approach, field surveys, feedback from interactions with stakeholders, experiences of the practitioners and institutional consultations. This multi-stakeholder approach helped to appreciate ecological aspects of sanitation disposal and its implications on water quality improvement. SWOT model was used to analyze the relevance of assessed ecological system. Well water quality is deteriorated by traditional waste management disposal. Ecological sanitation systems are septic tanks on polyethylene, above-ground latrines and phytoremediation technique in the swamp areas. Collected wastes are used for composting and biogas production. Based on the optimist scenario at 2030 horizon, kind success factors of groundwater security are participation of citizens, existence of sanitation market, valorization of the waste by category, low-cost disposal adaptable to the individual, household and neighborhood’s scales. The strategic directions rely on funding and public policies for WASH, ecological sanitation disposal, cultural environment and good sanitation practices for emergence of new sanitation system to secure and sustain well water quality. But the social acceptability of ecological disposal is limited by the society’s multicultural heritage. These findings could help in decision-making concerning urban groundwater quality protection in the African coastal cities.

Consequences of Future Expansion at the Arctic Treeline in Northernmost Norway

Seedlings from eight seed populations of mountain birch(Betula pubescens var.tortuosa),were transplanted to a site close to the town Vard?,in the Arctic part of the Varanger area in Northernmost Norway,in order to investigate the adaptation to climate change in different birch provenances and the implications for the treeline ecosystem and the local population.A comparable site was established at Kilpisj?rvi(500 masl)in Northern Finland close to treeline.Five replicates with 20 plants per replicate were established per site.The Vard?site was partly snow-free,sheltered by a willow thicket,and partly exposed on a ditched peat bog with thick snow cover from a nearby snowfence.Annual measurements were carried out on survival and growth parameters.The preliminary conclusion from this study is that local climate may be more important than the overall climatic variation in the adaptation and reforestation process in Northernmost Fennoscandia.In this process,the subarctic willow and shrub vegetation seems to be an important factor influencing the microclimate and seedling establishment.Species and provenances originating from areas with similar latitudes and climatic conditions as the reforestation area,were most successful.The Varanger area has always been a meeting place between different cultures,i.e.,the Sami,Norwegian,Finnish and Russian population.The study indicates that in a changed climate the birch forest area would expand because there will be more willow growth and consequently more safe sites for birch seedling establishment and growth,which would also create a better local climate for the human population.In this process local birch populations that are adapted to a more coastal climate,would have an advantage.Since birch has been shown to be an important resource for all these cultures,this would decrease the level of conflicts between the different groups of stakeholders about the resources in the area.

Nonformal environmental education:a case study with farmers in a town of the South Minas Gerais state,Brazil

Brazil is a central place in the international agricultural markets and this fact has been demanding environmentally oriented agricultural practices by Brazilian farmers and professionals involved in the agricultural market chain.A concise and structured questionnaire was applied to obtain the environmental perception of a group of Brazilian farmers in a town of the south Minas Gerais state,using herbicides as the topic for a case study.A highly variable opinion about taking the environment into account when choosing the most appropriate herbicide was found.Anyway,efficacy has been indicated as the most important factor when choosing an herbicide,followed by the environment and price.The outcomes from the questionnaires,i.e.the insufficient conception and importance given to environment when choosing the herbicide,motivated the creation of a teaching-learning model for the nonformal environmental education using the concept of socio-ecological resilience.This routine puts in practice the resilience thinking currently invoked as a major tool to achieve the conservation of the socio-ecological system,as well as it is complimentary to the outcome-oriented optimization for conservation theory.For the case study about farmers and the use of herbicides,we conclude that a complex reasoning and,ultimately,pro-environmental actions can be improved after experiencing the recommended model for environmental education.

Desertification risk,economic resilience and social issues:From theory to practice

Land degradation and early forms of desertification in both advanced economies and emerging countries reflect complex socio-environmental processes driven by multiple interactions between biophysical and socioeconomic forces across different spatial scales.The present study investigates desertification risk,land degradation,and socio-demographic dynamics through the lens of“resilience,”adopting complex adaptive systems(CAS)thinking.The resilience of socio-environmental systems exposed to land degradation is defined as the capacity of a regional economy to respond to crises and reorganize by making changes to preserve functions,structure,and feedback,and to promote future development options.By reviewing the socioeconomic resilience of local socio-ecological systems exposed to land degradation,this study achieves a better comprehension of the multifaceted processes that lead to a higher risk of desertification and the intimate relationship with underlying population trends and demographic dynamics.A comprehensive approach based on resilience thinking was formulated to review both environmental and socio-demographic issues at the landscape scale,and provide a suitable foundation for sustainability science and regional development policies.

Mechanisms for Cross-Scaling, Flexibility and Social Learning in Building Resilience to Sea Level Rise: Case Study of Hampton Roads, Virginia

This case study examines how the Hampton Roads Sea Level Rise Preparedness and Resilience Intergovernmental Planning Pilot Project, a whole-of-government and whole-of-community approach to planning for and adapting to sea level rise, addressed coastal resilience in a southeastern Virginia watershed that spans multiple jurisdictions. Meeting the challenge of sea level rise requires that actors across multiple sectors—citizens, community organizations, industry and government—understand the risks and work together to make critical decisions regarding adaptation strategies and actions. The case study area includes Little Creek Amphibious Base, which is bordered by the cities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Adaptation responses to sea level rise by the military base and the local governments will impact each other and the residents of the area, but no cooperative agreements are in place for a joint or collaborative response. This case study examines public and private infrastructure at risk, the infrastructure interdependencies, and mechanisms for providing collaborative solutions. Engagement of area residents and other stakeholders is also integral to the process of adaptation, which includes educating about sea level rise risk and provides a mechanism for social learning that enables stakeholders to participate in critical adaptation decisions. The case study demonstrates a method to improve resiliency in the case study area and inform a regional, multi-sectoral response to sea level rise adaptation strategies.

Systematic Review of Diabetes Self-Management: Focusing on the Middle-Aged Population of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia

The aim is to synthesize the most contemporary qualitative research on the self-management of type 2 diabetes with specific interest in the population of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The electronic databases searched include the Cochrane library, MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE and PsycINFO, between the year 1993 and 2013. The inclusion criteria was the middle-aged population aged 40 - 60 years. Studies must report qualitative research on diabetes self-management, diabetic complications, quality of life, and patient-doctor relationship or interaction. Out of the 36 identified studies, 30 studies from the literature search representing self-management in context suggest that the multiple contextual factors identified are the fertile ground for further research, and the context which is useful for health care professionals suggests that coping with diagnosis and living with diabetes are affected by a complex constellation of factors, including life circumstances, social support, gender roles and economy. Three conceptual themes were identified from the analysis. The review has revealed that there is a lack of studies in literature on self-management of type 2 diabetes in both the countries.

The Local Environmental, Economic and Social Tragedies of International Interventions on Community Based Forest Management for Global Environmental Conservation: A Critical Evaluation

This study reviewed the policies and outcomes of international support for forest management in Nepal and answered whether international support on forest management in developing countries resulted in positive socioeconomic and environmental outcomes at local communities. The evaluation is based on the socio-ecological theory and synergies-tradeoff model of forestry ecosystems goods and services. The study shows that the international interventions influenced national policies and community forestry practices, which contributed to the remarkable increase of forest stock. The new forestry institutions increased timber product supplies to urban users and contributed to offsetting of greenhouse gas emission of affluent societies in overseas. However, the intervention spoiled centuries of old forestry practices, which had contributed to the evolvement of socio-ecological condition, sustained local economy and environment systems. The new forestry institutions and practices locked local opportunities of multipurpose uses of forest, worsened water yield and local knowledge, and hampered local economic activities. Consequently they affected habitat diversities for forest based species, and forest resource supplies for sustaining agrobiodiversities and local food security. In reality the interventions increased benefit to distant users (urban users in the country and affluent societies in overseas) and further marginalized local communities and particularly socially disadvantaged people. The paper shows that the international forestry policies and supports are technically wrong or poorly based on science which is against their promise of providing better technical supports and benefiting local communities in developing countries. It argues that the interventions created many complexities in forestry institutions and practices which require too costly endeavor to change and address the local socioeconomic and environmental problems. The paper has explained the root cause of the international policy problem on many schools of thought.

Green Value Chain： A Case Study in Turkey about the Relationships among Antecedents, Initiatives and Results of Green Value Chain Implementations

The present study was conducted to determine the green value chain implementations of large and medium size businesses and to investigate the relationships among antecedents, initiatives and results of green value chain implementations. The antecedents of green value chain implementations were considered from four dimensions namely regulations, public concerns, expected competitive advantage and top management commitment; green value chain initiatives were considered from three dimensions namely green primary activities, green internal support activities and green external support activities; the results of green value chain implementations were considered from two dimensions namely economic performance and socio-ecologic performance. A model was created according to the objectives of the study and hypotheses were formed. Multiple regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationships between the antecedents and initiatives of green value chain implementations. A relationship was not observed between green primary activities and economic and socio-ecologic performance. While a positive relationship was observed between green external support activities and economic performance, a positive relationship was observed between green internal support activities and both economic and socio-ecologic performance.

Caring for Unclean Animals in Ancient Israel： An Ecological Perspective

In view of the biblical kosher law of clean and unclean animals, the question of whether unclean animals could be reared or not in Ancient Israel becomes an ecological concern （Lev. 7：21; 11：26） for religious bodies today who still consider certain animals as unclean. A theological study of the law in the Pentateuch suggests that, in Ancient Israel, unclean animals were well catered for. Physical contact with live unclean animals did not render one unclean. Rather, uncleanness could be acquired through the touching of the carcass of clean or unclean animals （11：24-28, 38-39）. As part of their stewardship ordained by God （Gen. 1：26）, the people of Israel touched and reared/cared for unclean animals. Amongst other things, analysis of Gen. 1：26, in the Hebrew text, indicates that the primary purpose of human creation, as cosmic stewards over all creatures （including unclean animals）, is underlined. Hence, contemporary religious bodies, who still consider certain animals as unclean, should have an unfeigned care and positive attitude towards all unclean animals.

Kentos: Socio-ecologies of care

What is the relation of humanity to the‘rest of nature’?Situated in the epoch of the Anthropocene and as concerns about climate emergency dramatically rise,the paper looks beyond the human/nature ontological separation and narratives of domination,in order to investigate the possibility of alternative worldviews and practices,instrumental for socio-ecological repair.Kentos,deriving from the greek verb kentaw(embroider or sting),describes the harvest practice of mastiha tree,which grows solely on Chios island.In the precision of the manual labour and the rituality of Kentos,one can read beyond pure production,a relationship of mutuality and a socio-ecological bond unfolding between human bodies,trees and their environment.The paper revisits the mastiha landscapes of Chios island,at North Aegean in Greece and narrates the story of relations that have occurred between humans and a tree native to the island,the Pistacia lentiscus var.Chia.It unpacks this socio-ecological bond and its various social,political and economic extensions,investigating how this interspecies relation has operated in history as a productive force and how it has survived in the present time,entangled in capitalist flows,climatic and urban pressures.The aim is to explore knowledge latent in interspecies relations that occurre in territories entangled in capitalist processes of extended urbanisation.Gathering this knowledge aims at informing alternative concepts and strategies for dealing with the contemporary socio-ecological challenges.The paper employs a methodology of relational thinking:it problematises and retracts strict ontological boundaries between human and‘the rest of Nature’.By doing so it reveals a whole new space of relations between species and sets for an exploration of the relations that we encounter there.This space is examined and conceptualised through qualitative ethnographic work,analysis of documentary sources,oral history and secondary sources that have captured intentionally or unintentionally facets of the socio-ecological bond.Concluding,the paper identifies a socio-ecology of care nested in interspecies relations.It reveales care as a latent interspecies practice,as situated knowledge,as a more-than-human collective,and as an intrinsic value of reciprocity between forms of life,within and beyond capitalism,generating alternative socio-political formations and alternative vision.The paper ends with a proposition:care is a choice,a valid alternative option for design space,strategy and practice to re-engage productively with the‘rest of nature’,material and living world.

Socio-ecological dynamics and challenges to the governance of Neglected Tropical Disease control

The current global attempts to control the so-called“Neglected Tropical Diseases(NTDs)”have the potential to significantly reduce the morbidity suffered by some of the world’s poorest communities.However,the governance of these control programmes is driven by a managerial rationality that assumes predictability of proposed interventions,and which thus primarily seeks to improve the cost-effectiveness of implementation by measuring performance in terms of pre-determined outputs.Here,we argue that this approach has reinforced the narrow normal-science model for controlling parasitic diseases,and in doing so fails to address the complex dynamics,uncertainty and socio-ecological context-specificity that invariably underlie parasite transmission.We suggest that a new governance approach is required that draws on a combination of non-equilibrium thinking about the operation of complex,adaptive,systems from the natural sciences and constructivist social science perspectives that view the accumulation of scientific knowledge as contingent on historical interests and norms,if more effective control approaches sufficiently sensitive to local disease contexts are to be devised,applied and managed.At the core of this approach is an emphasis on the need for a process that assists with the inclusion of diverse perspectives,social learning and deliberation,and a reflexive approach to addressing system complexity and incertitude,while balancing this flexibility with stability-focused structures.We derive and discuss a possible governance framework and outline an organizational structure that could be used to effectively deal with the complexity of accomplishing global NTD control.We also point to examples of complexity-based management structures that have been used in parasite control previously,which could serve as practical templates for developing similar governance structures to better manage global NTD control.Our results hold important wider implications for global health policy aiming to effectively control and eradicate parasitic diseases across the world.

社会生态视角下街道步行影响因素的作用机理——基于深圳的实证分析

The health significance of walking has become increasingly prominent.To better understand how factors influence behavior is a necessary basis for effective behavioral intervention.In view of the complexity of human behavior,this paper explores the influencing factors of pedestrian walking and their influencing mechanism under different behavioral purposes from the socio-ecological perspective,based on the empirical data of Shenzhen.The analysis reveals that:factors in each dimension interact to have a joint influence on walking activities,among which the influences of behavioral habit,physical environment,and policy environment are more prominent;the differentiation of influencing factors under different behavioral purposes is relatively obvious in physical environment dimension;the comprehensive performance of factors is more prominent in physical environment dimension,which is effective,especially under the intervention of policy environment factors;behavioral intervention practices should be integrated with the respective characteristics of behavior psychology,social environment,physical environment,and policy environment,so as to maximize the intervention effects.

Noto Peninsula after GIAHS Designation: Conservation and Revitalization Efforts of Noto's Satoyama and Satoumi

The “Noto’sSatoyama andSatoumi” in Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan is a system of Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes （SEPLS） mosaics interconnected with highly productive coastal areas that have been formed and maintained through long-term human inlfuence, which supports not only its diverse and traditional agriculture, forestry and ifsheries, but also sustains local livelihoods and conserves its lfourishing biodiversity. Since the designation of Noto as Globaly Important Agricultural Heritage Systems （GIAHS） in 2011, there have been active developments of conservation and revitalization efforts amongst the local gov-ernments, and communities, as well as pouring interest from the academia, international community and private sector. The paper wil discuss the developments of Noto’s GIAHS through examining several case studies of recent conservation and revitalization efforts of new initiatives and those building on existing schemes. The report wil be based on literature reviews, interviews with and information provided by Ishikawa Prefectural Government and ifeld surveys conducted. It is found that modest but steady steps are being taken in conservation of GIAHS and Noto is taking an active role contributing to the GIAHS initiative.

An ecosystem-based approach to marine risk assessment

Risk assessments quantify the probability of undesirable events along with their consequences.They are used to prioritize management interventions and assess tradeoffs,serving as an essential component of ecosystem-based management(EBM).A central objective of most risk assessments for conservation and management is to characterize uncertainty and impacts associated with one or more pressures of interest.Risk assessments have been used in marine resource management to help evaluate the risk of environmental,ecological,and anthropogenic pressures on species or habitats including for data-poor fisheries management(e.g.,toxicity,probability of extinction,habitat alteration impacts).Traditionally,marine risk assessments focused on singular pressure-response relationships,but recent advancements have included use of risk assessments in an EBM context,providing a method for evaluating the cumulative impacts of multiple pressures on multiple ecosystem components.Here,we describe a conceptual framework for ecosystem risk assessment(ERA),highlighting its role in operationalizing EBM,with specific attention to ocean management considerations.This framework builds on the ecotoxicological and conservation literature on risk assessment and includes recent advances that focus on risks posed by fishing to marine ecosystems.We review how examples of ERAs from the United States fit into this framework,explore the variety of analytical approaches that have been used to conduct ERAs,and assess the challenges and data gaps that remain.This review discusses future prospects for ERAs as EBM decision-support tools,their expanded role in integrated ecosystem assessments,and the development of next-generation risk assessments for coupled natural-human systems.