National Idemity, Territoriality, and Conflict： Analyzing the Ethno-Territorial Conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh in the Soviet Era

This article attempts to analyze the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between the Armenians and Azerbaijanis by focusing on place and territory as two key subjective components of national identity. Place and territory are also crucial from cultural perspective because they enable communities to express their identity in a cultural landscape. Control of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh was essential to express territoriality that is to protect language and identity. In addition, the article examines the exclusionary treatment of Karabakh Armenians by Azerbaijan and discrimination against them as the cause of the conflict and its intensity. The article also focuses on the desire for political self-rule as a necessary condition for nationhood.

Why employees stay： the roles of psychological ownership, territoriality and work relationship closeness in affecting employee turnover intention

Drawing on a tripartite perspective on attitudes, this study examines the influence of psychological ownership and territoriality on turnover intention, as well as the moderating role of work relationship closeness on the relationship between territoriality and turnover intention. Analyses of longitudinal data collected from 341 employees in three Chinese automobile manufacturing companies demonstrate that employees＇ psychological ownership is negatively related to their turnover intention. As well, territoriality is negatively related to turnover intention and mediates the relationship between psychological ownership and turnover intention. Additionally, work relationship closeness moderates the relationship between territoriality and turnover intention such that the negative relationship is stronger when employees experience a higher level of work relationship closeness. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Ephrin-B1-mediated regulation of germinal center T-cell territoriality and function

Subject Code:C08With the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,a study by the research group led by Prof.Qi Hai(祁海)from the School of Medicine,Tsinghua University revealed a novel mechanism that regulates the germinal center reaction,aphysiological process that underlies high-quality

Coping with extremes:convergences of habitat use,territoriality,and diet in summer but divergences in winter between two sympatric snow finches on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,extreme environmental conditions have imposed intense selective pressure on the evolution of phenotypic traits of wild animals.To date,limited information is available on behavioral and ecological traits concerning niche differentiation among sympatric animals on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,especially during winter when the environments are most severe.Here,we studied the seasonal variations in habitat occurrence,territorial behavior,and diet in two sympatric snow finches(the white-rumped snow finch,Onychostruthus taczanowskii,WRSF;and the rufous-necked snow finch,Pyrgilauda ruficollis,RNSF)to determine convergence and divergence of ecological traits in such severe climatic conditions.Our results showed that:(i)WRSF occupied rural areas as a dominant species throughout the annual cycle while RNSF occupied the rural areas in summer and then shifted to human-occupied areas in winter and spring;(ii)WRSFs exhibited robust aggressive behavior and territoriality during winter relative to RNSFs;(iii)the diets of both species varied with the season but did not vary between species except that WRSF ate significantly more seeds but RNSF consumed more starchy material derived from human food waste during winter.Therefore,the separations in the spatial niche and territoriality between WRSF and RNSF,especially in winter,may contribute to alleviating the pressure of interspecific competition,and promoting the coexistence of the two sympatric snow finches in the extreme environments on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

How territoriality affects the density of an egg predator： Habitat renovation and reintroduction as a method of conserving two endangered desert spring fish

Conservation of endangered sympatric species must be carefully executed to ensure that the protection of one species does not negatively impact the survival of another. Critically endangered Pecos gambusia Gambusia nobilis and Leon Springs pupfish Cyprinodon bovinus, which are endemic to a threatened desert spring habitat, exemplify one such scenario. Recently, this habitat has been expanded, and captively bred C. bovinus were released to repopulate an area historically known to contain this species. A previous study suggested that G. nobilis are detrimental to C. bovinus populations, due to their tendency to congregate near spawning pairs and feed on their eggs. Whether G. nobilis are attracted to territorial C. bovinus, regardless of spawning behavior, remains unclear. To determine this, the number of G. nobilis in occupied and unoccupied breeding territories of both wild and captively bred C. bovinus was measured. Gambusia nobilis densities were similar between unoccupied and occupied territorial sites, suggesting that they do not show a preference for C. bovinus territories. Regardless of habitat location or prior captivity, territorial C. bovinus significantly excluded G. nobilis within their direct vicinity （5 cm）, but not from their entire territory. Decreased G. nobilis density within the habitat may allow C. bovinus to defend their breeding territories more readily during the summer spawning season. This study provides empirical evidence of captively raised individuals behaving similarly to wild indi- viduals upon reintroduction to their natural habitat and support for conservation methods that focus on common limiting factors between endangered species [Current Zoology 60 （4）： 527-533, 2014].

Root overlap and allocation of above- and belowground growth of European beech in pure and mixed stands of Douglas fir and Norway spruce

Site conditions and species identity have a combined effect on fine root growth of trees in pure and mixed stands.However,mechanisms that may contribute to this effect are rarely studied,even though they are essential to assess the potential of species to cope with climate change.This study examined fine root overlap and the linkage between fine root and stem growth of European beech(Fagus sylvatica)growing in pure and mixed stands with Douglas fir(Pseudotsuga menziesii)or Norway spruce(Picea abies)at two different study sites in northwestern Germany.The study sites represented substantially different soil and climate conditions.At each site,three stands,and at each stand,three pairs of trees were studied.In the pure beech stand,the pairs consisted of two beech trees,while in the mixed stands each pair was composed of a beech tree and a conifer.Between each pair,three evenly spaced soil cores were taken monthly throughout the growing season.In the pure beech stands,microsatellite markers were used to assign the fine roots to individual trees.Changes in stem diameter of beech were quantified and then upscaled to aboveground wood productivity with automatic high-resolution circumference dendrometers.We found that fine root overlap between neighboring trees varied independently of the distance between the paired trees or the stand types(pure versus mixed stands),indicating that there was no territorial competition.Aboveground wood productivity(wood NPP)and fine root productivity(root NPP)showed similar unimodal seasonal patterns,peaking in June.However,this pattern was more distinct for root NPP,and root NPP started earlier and lasted longer than wood NPP.The influence of site conditions on the variation in wood and root NPP of beech was stronger than that of stand type.Wood NPP was,as expected,higher at the richer site than at the poorer site.In contrast,root NPP was higher at the poorer than at the richer site.We concluded that beech can respond to limited resources not only above-but also belowground and that the negative relationship between above-and belowground growth across the study sites suggests an‘optimal partitioning’of growth under stress.

Life cycle assessment as a prospective tool for sustainable agriculture and food planning at a local level

Owing to the far-reaching environmental consequences of agriculture and food systems,such as their contribution to climate change,there is an urgent need to reduce their impact.International and national governments set sustainability targets and implement corresponding measures.Nevertheless,critics of the globalized system claim that a territorial administrative scale is better suited to address sustainability issues.Yet,at the subnational level,local authorities rarely apply a systemic environmental assessment to enhance their action plans.This paper employs a territorial life cycle assessment methodology to improve local environmental agri-food planning.The objective is to identify significant direct and indirect environmental hotspots,their origins,and formulate effective mitigation strategies.The methodology is applied to the administrative department of Finistere,a strategic agricultural region in North-Western France.Multiple environmental criteria including climate change,fossil resource scarcity,toxicity,and land use are modeled.The findings reveal that the primary environmental hotspots of the studied local food system arise from indirect sources,such as livestock feed or diesel consumption.Livestock reduction and organic farming conversion emerge as the most environmentally efficient strategies,resulting in a 25%decrease in the climate change indicator.However,the overall modeled impact reduction is insufficient following national objectives and remains limited for the land use indicator.These results highlight the innovative application of life cycle assessment led at a local level,offering insights for the further advancement of systematic and prospective local agri-food assessment.Additionally,they provide guidance for local authorities to enhance the sustainability of planning strategies.

Unpacking the‘supply-utilization-demand’interplay:Keys to multifunctional sustainability in rural China

Sustainable rural development is predicated on a delicate balance between rural territorial functions and eco-logical constraints.While various functions can catalyze economic growth in rural settings,aligning them with inherent ecological variables is essential.An exhaustive analysis of Beijing’s Pinggu District elucidated specific supply-demand thresholds and evaluated the adaptability of current utilization within these boundaries,culmi-nating in a novel optimization strategy.Notably,while locals place significant emphasis on production functions,the area’s topography and soil characteristics present palpable challenges to achieving these goals.We discov-ered that‘shackle type’predominantly characterize individual rural territorial functions,while‘diversified weak function optimization type’define multifunctional aspects,showcasing varied development paths and uncov-ering potential strategies for sustainable improvement.This study contributes a groundbreaking perspective to sustainable rural development,offering key insights and strategic recommendations for policy formulation.

Extreme rain event highlights the lack of governance to face climate change in the Southeastern coast of Brazil

New rainfall records were registered in the southeastern region of Brazil during February 2023.The amount of rain in the north coast region of the State of São Paulo was more than 650 mm in less than two days.Landslides and tragedies with a socioeconomically vulnerable population marked this climatic extreme.The country has a regulatory system that suggests the elaboration and implementation of municipal public policies aimed at territorial organization,environmental conservation,and the prevention of disasters induced by natural hazards.In addition,both federal and state funds earmarked for such hazard's prevention have been underutilized over the last decade.In addition to this current devastating climate episode,other events were registered in this decade,reinforcing that financial governance is a key challenge to face the climate crisis in Brazil.The predicted future extreme events in different regions of Brazil will require a different governance system to minimize social inequality,seek sustainable alternatives for urban environments and manage to adapt cities for the challenges posed by climate change.

Addressing inclusion,innovation,and sustainability challenges through the lens of economic geography:Introducing the hierarchical regional innovation system

The world is facing dramatic challenges related to environmental sustainability at an accelerating pace.In this context,the field of economic geography(EG)has been playing an important role in understanding both the socioeconomic and technological dimensions of these challenges,as it deals with a variety of complementary notions and perspectives.Departing from this lens,our aim is to explore a conceptual framework that can help us to understand environmental changes relating to multi-dimensional territorial development,notably in eco-nomic contexts where inequality is high,and stratification based on hierarchies regulate social and economic life.Based on the territory concept,we propose the original notion of a hierarchical regional innovation system(HRIS)that emphasises the pervasive role of hierarchies(powers)in regional innovation systems and illustrate its value with evidence and case studies from extant literature on sustainability transitions.The HRIS can help us understand and promote development paths considering the contribution of inclusive eco-innovations(another original conceptual amalgam).Through some empirical cases from other studies in low-carbon transitions,we show the application of the HRIS(and inclusive eco-innovation)framework.In conclusion,we provide incen-tives to explore new regional innovation systems,alongside the HRIS,adapted to different regions worldwide and centred on the inclusiveness of people and places.

Grid System Mapping of Ferula tadshikorum Pimenov (Apiaceae) Distributed in Uzbekistan

This article presents information on the distribution of Ferula tadshikorum Pimenov species in the botanical—geographical region of Uzbekistan, based on data collected from available resources, including international sites, and databases, completed papers and directly conducted field studies. At the same time, under the circumstance that the natural area is directly getting smaller, the necessity and relevance of the thesis work on the evaluation of species’ natural reserves and the evaluation of the modern situations are demonstrated through examples. The Surkhandarya region is considered to have the largest number of plant species in Uzbekistan, and it is also distinguished by the variety of species. According to the location of the botanical-geographical regions of Uzbekistan, the territory of the Surkhandarya region is divided into five botanical-geographical regions (BGR). The 5 × 5 km2 grid system map includes 882 cells. Surkhan-Sherabod (BGR), Baisun (BGR), Sangardak-Topalang (BGR), Babatag (BGR), and Kuhitang (BGR) corresponded to these. Simultaneously, the 5 × 5 km2 grid system map of Uzbekistan’s flora in the Surkhandarya region revealed the presence of F. tadshikorum in 109 indices. On the territory of the region, the botanic-geographic region mainly includes the F. tadshikorum, Babatag (BGR), Baisun (BGR), and Kohitang (BGR) indices. The natural resources of F. tadshikorum in these areas were also analyzed.

Transformation of French Governance Model for Oceanian Overseas Territories

The governance of France's overseas territories in Oceania has undergone a significant model transformation since the end of World War Ⅱ. In recent years, it has further highlighted its determination to pursue strategic autonomy. Through strict governance and legal mechanisms, France has promoted local autonomy and economic transformation, and has shifted the governance of these territories from colonial control to political cooperation and from predatory development to localized sustainable development. France's overseas territories in Oceania have increasingly become the fulcrum of its foreign strategy, serving the overall interests of its country and its overseas security. In recent years, France's governance policies in the region have become increasingly diversified, such as promoting economic diversification, strengthening regional security cooperation, weakening its independence tendencies, and promoting changes in the regional situation and relevant national policies.

Frontier Progress of Landscape Character Assessment in China

The role of Landscape Character Assessment(LCA)at the level of territorial landscape governance spans both natural and social sciences.By analyzing the development history,research distribution,methods and applications of cutting-edge cases of LCA in China,the following conclusions are drawn:①the LCA research in China originated earlier than that in Europe,but has not yet been systematically applied to the implementation of urban and rural planning at all levels;②the fundamental theory of LCA in China has been well constructed,with three main research directions:technologyled,assessment-led,and assessment combined with other theories;③the development of LCA in rural areas is more mature than in urban areas,but the progress of research is uneven across regions;④the current research presents significant“bottom-up”academic characteristics,and there is an urgent need for government decision-making authorities and academia to jointly promote a“top-down”standardized governance mechanism to comprehensively promote the modernization of territorial landscape governance.

Exploration of Detailed Planning Practice of Chemical Industrial Parks under the Background of Territorial Space Planning

With the gradual completion of the overall planning of city and county land space,the detailed planning will be prepared according to the requirements of transmitting and refining the upper planning.Industrial parks are one of the“main forces”of local economic development,and the preparation of their detailed planning will escort their development.The key points of the Control Indicators of Construction Land in Industrial Projectsissued in 2008 and 2023 were compared,and the new requirements for detailed planning under the background of territorial space and the contradictions between the detailed planning of industrial parks and the overall planning of the upper territorial space were sorted out based on the summary of the existing problems in the development of chemical parks.It provides some ideas for the practice of detailed planning of chemical industrial parks under the background of territorial space.

Policy text quantification of urban waste classification from the perspective of policy tools:Based on the analysis of 6 cities in Northwest China

Based on the theory of policy tools and the application of content analysis method,this paper conducts a quantitative study on 32 samples of municipal waste classification policy texts in 6 cities in Northwest China.It constructs an analysis framework from the perspective of policy tools,policy contents and time series,and then measures and analyzes the policy texts according to the steps of defining analysis units,categories and coding,reliability and validity testing,etc.The results show that:(1)The urban waste classification policy in Northwest China is characterized by increasing attention year by year,a focus on government guidance and investment,and a clear division of responsibilities.These factors help to activate the motivation for policy implementation in cities across Northwest China,foster multi-departmental cooperation,and encourage active participation from various social entities in the process of implementing waste classification policies.(2)At the present stage,the design and application of policy tools are still unreasonable.On the one hand,the structure of policy tools is unbalanced,with excessive environmental policy tools leading to resource waste and insufficient demand policy tools leading to insufficient policy pulling power,which is not conducive to the long-term implementation of garbage classification management.At the same time,the internal structure of the secondary tools of the three types of policy tools is also uneven and unreasonable proportion further aggravates the waste of policy resources;On the other hand,the use of policy tools in each link of the policy content lacks focus and the concept of local policy implementation,which is difficult to meet the current practical needs and difficulties of garbage classification and treatment.According to this,the paper puts forward some policy suggestions,such as increasing the use of demand-oriented policy tools,paying attention to the reasonable matching of policy tools in various links of classification,and paying attention to the coordination of policy goal,process and result under the comprehensive dimension.

Workplace Hazards and Risk among Automobile Mechanics (A Case of Kugbo Mechanic Village in FCT)

Background: Automobile mechanics face different occupational hazards, which can have a wide range of physical and biological impacts depending on the frequency, intensity, and length of exposure. This study looked at the dangers and hazards that automobile mechanics in Kugbo Mechanic village in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria faced in their jobs. Research Objectives: The specific objectives were to determine the typical occupational risks faced by Kugbo automobile mechanics, evaluate the degree and risk of related health problems and injuries among Kugbo mechanics workers, examine the application of PPE and additional safety precautions among Kugbo mechanics, and assess Kugbo automobile workers’ understanding of the consequences of operating without PPE. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted using purposeful sampling. A validated structured questionnaire was administered to 200 automobile workers at risk of exposure to hazards. The questionnaire covered socio-demographics, types of risk exposure, perceptions of their vulnerability, and the use of personal protective equipment. The data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics in Statistical Packages for Social version 26. Cross tabulation was used to identify patterns and associations between variables, and the Relative importance Index method was used to determine the relative importance of adherence to PPE and other safety issues. Results: Findings show that 5.1% of the respondents had completed secondary school, 25.3% had attended a technical school, 36.9% had completed primary school, and 32.8% had no formal education. Long exposure makes automobile workers more vulnerable to illnesses attributed to their job, as 91.9% work long hours sitting and 78.3% work long hours standing. The overall mean score of 3.72 shows that most respondents did not agree that automobile workers wear PPEs and follow other safety precautions. The medical issues listed include burns on the body, depression, heart illness, severe headaches and abdominal pain, and poor vision. Conclusion: The findings reveal that automobile workers are exposed to several risks and hazards that have resulted in various health-related problems. Therefore, using PPEs and adhering to occupational safety practices will mitigate their exposure to workplace hazards.

Use of display platforms of Common Coots (Fulica atra) compared with the use of nests during breeding seasons

We investigated a breeding population of Common Coots (Fulica atra) from April to June in 2008 and 2009.We found that each pair of coots built display platforms beside their nest in their territory during the breeding season.On average,3.1 (range 2-7) platforms were built by each pair of coots.Display platforms were simpler with less coverage and were significantly lower above the water surface than nests; however,their depth below the water surface was not significantly different.Platforms were primarily used for roosting,preening and mating in the breeding season,but they were also used to store animal food.In the breeding season,nest was usually built later than platforms,the use ratio (total and daily frequency) of platforms decreased after nest was built,and more mating behavior was performed on the nest than on the platform.We compared the use ratio of both sexes to the nest and platforms in different breeding phases; the results show that females used the nest more than the platforms,while males used the platforms more than the females,suggesting that females pay more attention to breeding,while males put more energy in territorial defense.Since coots are territorial during the breeding season,the platforms may play an important role in confirming and recognizing territorial boundaries.

Territory and territorial behavior of migrating Common Coot (Fulica atra)

Territory and territorial behavior of the Common Coot（Fulica atra） were studied in two breeding sites,Anbanghe Nature Reserve and Daqing Longfeng wetland,in Heilongjiang Province,China from April to October in 2008 and 2009.In the breeding season,the breeding pairs occupied an area and protected it throughout the reproduction,and both interspecific and intraspecific conflicts were observed.Territory activities became severe since early May,the peak of territory behaviors appeared at late May,and then declined gradually.The territorial activities level was higher than that in the nest building period than in the laying and incubation periods.The most adopted behavioral model was expelling,which was the least energy cost.The degree of territorial behavior tended to be descended since the development of breeding phase.The territory size differed from 1 333 m2 to above 5 000 m2.Wintering population was observed in Poyang Lake of Jiangxi Province.The coots gathered in the open water;however,there was no territory behavior both in the interspecies and intraspecies in wintering sites.The hypotheses why there was territory behaviors for coots both in the interspecies and intraspecies were also discussed.

Keratinized Nuptial Spines Are Used for Male Combat in the Emei Moustache Toad(Leptobrachium boringii)

We describe the natural history and reproductive behaviour of the Emei Moustache Toad(Leptobrachium boringii) with an emphasis on the development of keratinized nuptial spines in males and document combat behaviour for the first time in this species. Between February and March of 2011, 19 female and 43 male L. boringii from Mount Emei UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sichuan, China were observed throughout the breeding season. This species exhibits male-biased sexual size dimorphism(SSD) with limited evidence of paternal care(nest guarding by males). Prior to the breeding season males grow 10 – 16 keratinized spines on their upper lip, which fall off once the season has ended. Throughout the breeding season males construct and defend aquatic nests where they produce advertisement calls to attract females. During this time we documented 14 cases involving a total of 22 males where males used their moustaches for aggressive interaction. Combat typically occurred at the beginning of the season when males would compete for a limited number of available nest sites. Neither male body size, nor body condition significantly affects the outcome of an aggressive interaction, suggesting that size may not be the only factor influencing an individual’s chance of victory. Our evidence for male competition and aggression, along with observed paternal care are potential mechanisms to explain the evolution of male-biased SSD observed in this species.

Agriculture Development in Agriculture Oriented County Based on Territorial Function ——A Case Study of Long’an County in GuangXi Zhuang Autonomous Region

[Objective] The aim was to research development plan of major agriculture-oriented county （MAOA or MAOC hereafter） based on territorial function. [Method] The relationship between Major Function Oriented Zoning （MFOZ hereafter） and agricultural development is explored with the case of Long＇an County in Guangxi. [Result] In the research, agricultural function, featured by composition and diversification, is considered one of territorial function typs, contributed by ecology, land, industries and population. With Long＇an as a study case, it can be concluded that the plan of major agriculture-oriented counties is as follows： With guidance of territorial function, the counties should formulate the strategies of major function oriented zones, strive for more social and economic resources for agricultural development, extend agricultural functions, enhance the role of agricultural additional functions, strengthen ecological conservation, improve agricultural productivity and transportation, reinforce exchange of countryside with other regions. In addition, attention should be paid to reconstruction of population and industry pattern for redistribution on the basis of evaluation on bearing capacity of resources and environment. [Conclusion] In future, major agriculture oriented county should coordinate relationship among agriculture, industries, ecology and population with rational distribution of territorial function in county to guarantee stable and sustainable agricultural development.